1
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Engquist EN, Greco A, Joosten LAB, van Engelen BGM, Zammit PS, Banerji CRS. FSHD muscle shows perturbation in fibroadipogenic progenitor cells, mitochondrial function and alternative splicing independently of inflammation. Hum Mol Genet 2024; 33:182-197. [PMID: 37856562 PMCID: PMC10772042 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddad175] [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: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is a prevalent, incurable myopathy. FSHD is highly heterogeneous, with patients following a variety of clinical trajectories, complicating clinical trials. Skeletal muscle in FSHD undergoes fibrosis and fatty replacement that can be accelerated by inflammation, adding to heterogeneity. Well controlled molecular studies are thus essential to both categorize FSHD patients into distinct subtypes and understand pathomechanisms. Here, we further analyzed RNA-sequencing data from 24 FSHD patients, each of whom donated a biopsy from both a non-inflamed (TIRM-) and inflamed (TIRM+) muscle, and 15 FSHD patients who donated peripheral blood mononucleated cells (PBMCs), alongside non-affected control individuals. Differential gene expression analysis identified suppression of mitochondrial biogenesis and up-regulation of fibroadipogenic progenitor (FAP) gene expression in FSHD muscle, which was particularly marked on inflamed samples. PBMCs demonstrated suppression of antigen presentation in FSHD. Gene expression deconvolution revealed FAP expansion as a consistent feature of FSHD muscle, via meta-analysis of 7 independent transcriptomic datasets. Clustering of muscle biopsies separated patients in an unbiased manner into clinically mild and severe subtypes, independently of known disease modifiers (age, sex, D4Z4 repeat length). Lastly, the first genome-wide analysis of alternative splicing in FSHD muscle revealed perturbation of autophagy, BMP2 and HMGB1 signalling. Overall, our findings reveal molecular subtypes of FSHD with clinical relevance and identify novel pathomechanisms for this highly heterogeneous condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise N Engquist
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Greco
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525 GA, The Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud Institute of Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS) and Radboud Center of Infectious Diseases (RCI), Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, Nijmegen 6525 GA, The Netherlands
| | - Leo A B Joosten
- Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud Institute of Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS) and Radboud Center of Infectious Diseases (RCI), Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, Nijmegen 6525 GA, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Genetics, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Baziel G M van Engelen
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525 GA, The Netherlands
| | - Peter S Zammit
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher R S Banerji
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
- The Alan Turing Institute, The British Library, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB, United Kingdom
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2
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Kyba M, Bosnakovski D. Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy's game of homeodomains: therapy wants a biomarker as a sword wants a whetstone. Brain Commun 2023; 5:fcad235. [PMID: 37731901 PMCID: PMC10507743 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcad235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
This scientific commentary refers to 'The FSHD muscle-blood biomarker: a circulating transcriptomic biomarker for clinical severity in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy', by Banerji et al. (https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcad221).
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kyba
- Lillehei Heart Institute, University of Minnesota, Minnesota 55455, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minnesota 55455, USA
| | - Darko Bosnakovski
- Lillehei Heart Institute, University of Minnesota, Minnesota 55455, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minnesota 55455, USA
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3
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Erdmann H, Scharf F, Gehling S, Benet-Pagès A, Jakubiczka S, Becker K, Seipelt M, Kleefeld F, Knop KC, Prott EC, Hiebeler M, Montagnese F, Gläser D, Vorgerd M, Hagenacker T, Walter MC, Reilich P, Neuhann T, Zenker M, Holinski-Feder E, Schoser B, Abicht A. Methylation of the 4q35 D4Z4 repeat defines disease status in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. Brain 2023; 146:1388-1402. [PMID: 36100962 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic diagnosis of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) remains a challenge in clinical practice as it cannot be detected by standard sequencing methods despite being the third most common muscular dystrophy. The conventional diagnostic strategy addresses the known genetic parameters of FSHD: the required presence of a permissive haplotype, a size reduction of the D4Z4 repeat of chromosome 4q35 (defining FSHD1) or a pathogenic variant in an epigenetic suppressor gene (consistent with FSHD2). Incomplete penetrance and epistatic effects of the underlying genetic parameters as well as epigenetic parameters (D4Z4 methylation) pose challenges to diagnostic accuracy and hinder prediction of clinical severity. In order to circumvent the known limitations of conventional diagnostics and to complement genetic parameters with epigenetic ones, we developed and validated a multistage diagnostic workflow that consists of a haplotype analysis and a high-throughput methylation profile analysis (FSHD-MPA). FSHD-MPA determines the average global methylation level of the D4Z4 repeat array as well as the regional methylation of the most distal repeat unit by combining bisulphite conversion with next-generation sequencing and a bioinformatics pipeline and uses these as diagnostic parameters. We applied the diagnostic workflow to a cohort of 148 patients and compared the epigenetic parameters based on FSHD-MPA to genetic parameters of conventional genetic testing. In addition, we studied the correlation of repeat length and methylation level within the most distal repeat unit with age-corrected clinical severity and age at disease onset in FSHD patients. The results of our study show that FSHD-MPA is a powerful tool to accurately determine the epigenetic parameters of FSHD, allowing discrimination between FSHD patients and healthy individuals, while simultaneously distinguishing FSHD1 and FSHD2. The strong correlation between methylation level and clinical severity indicates that the methylation level determined by FSHD-MPA accounts for differences in disease severity among individuals with similar genetic parameters. Thus, our findings further confirm that epigenetic parameters rather than genetic parameters represent FSHD disease status and may serve as a valuable biomarker for disease status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannes Erdmann
- Medical Genetics Center (MGZ), 80335 Munich, Germany
- Friedrich-Baur-Institute, Department of Neurology, Klinikum der Universität, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | | | | | - Anna Benet-Pagès
- Medical Genetics Center (MGZ), 80335 Munich, Germany
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Center Munich, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Sibylle Jakubiczka
- Institute of Human Genetics, Universitätsklinikum Magdeburg, Otto-von-Guericke Universität, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | | | - Maria Seipelt
- Department of Neurology, Universitätsklinikum Marburg, Philipps-University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Felix Kleefeld
- Department of Neurology and Experimental Neurology, Charité Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - Miriam Hiebeler
- Friedrich-Baur-Institute, Department of Neurology, Klinikum der Universität, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Federica Montagnese
- Friedrich-Baur-Institute, Department of Neurology, Klinikum der Universität, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | | | - Matthias Vorgerd
- Department of Neurology, Berufgenossenschaftliches Universitätsklinikum Bergmannsheil, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44789 Bochum, Germany
| | - Tim Hagenacker
- Department of Neurology and Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
| | - Maggie C Walter
- Friedrich-Baur-Institute, Department of Neurology, Klinikum der Universität, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Peter Reilich
- Friedrich-Baur-Institute, Department of Neurology, Klinikum der Universität, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | | | - Martin Zenker
- Institute of Human Genetics, Universitätsklinikum Magdeburg, Otto-von-Guericke Universität, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Elke Holinski-Feder
- Medical Genetics Center (MGZ), 80335 Munich, Germany
- Department of Medicine IV, Klinikum der Universität, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Benedikt Schoser
- Friedrich-Baur-Institute, Department of Neurology, Klinikum der Universität, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Angela Abicht
- Medical Genetics Center (MGZ), 80335 Munich, Germany
- Friedrich-Baur-Institute, Department of Neurology, Klinikum der Universität, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 80336 Munich, Germany
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4
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Tihaya MS, Mul K, Balog J, de Greef JC, Tapscott SJ, Tawil R, Statland JM, van der Maarel SM. Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy: the road to targeted therapies. Nat Rev Neurol 2023; 19:91-108. [PMID: 36627512 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-022-00762-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Advances in the molecular understanding of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) have revealed that FSHD results from epigenetic de-repression of the DUX4 gene in skeletal muscle, which encodes a transcription factor that is active in early embryonic development but is normally silenced in almost all somatic tissues. These advances also led to the identification of targets for disease-altering therapies for FSHD, as well as an improved understanding of the molecular mechanism of the disease and factors that influence its progression. Together, these developments led the FSHD research community to shift its focus towards the development of disease-modifying treatments for FSHD. This Review presents advances in the molecular and clinical understanding of FSHD, discusses the potential targeted therapies that are currently being explored, some of which are already in clinical trials, and describes progress in the development of FSHD-specific outcome measures and assessment tools for use in future clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara S Tihaya
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Karlien Mul
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Judit Balog
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jessica C de Greef
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Stephen J Tapscott
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Rabi Tawil
- Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Statland
- Department of Neurology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
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5
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Campbell AE, Arjomand J, King OD, Tawil R, Jagannathan S. A Targeted Approach for Evaluating DUX4-Regulated Proteins as Potential Serum Biomarkers for Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy Using Immunoassay Proteomics. J Neuromuscul Dis 2023; 10:1031-1040. [PMID: 37899061 PMCID: PMC10657687 DOI: 10.3233/jnd-221636] [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] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is a progressive myopathy caused by misexpression of the double homeobox 4 (DUX4) embryonic transcription factor in skeletal muscle. Identifying quantitative and minimally invasive FSHD biomarkers to report on DUX4 activity will significantly accelerate therapeutic development. OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to analyze secreted proteins known to be induced by DUX4 using the commercially available Olink Proteomics platform in order to identify potential blood-based molecular FSHD biomarkers. METHODS We used high-throughput, multiplex immunoassays from Olink Proteomics to measure the levels of several known DUX4-induced genes in a cellular myoblast model of FSHD, in FSHD patient-derived myotube cell cultures, and in serum from individuals with FSHD. Levels of other proteins on the Olink Proteomics panels containing these DUX4 targets were also examined in secondary exploratory analysis. RESULTS Placental alkaline phosphatase (ALPP) levels correlated with DUX4 expression in both cell-based FSHD systems but did not distinguish FSHD patient serum from unaffected controls. CONCLUSIONS ALPP, as measured with the Olink Proteomics platform, is not a promising FSHD serum biomarker candidate but could be utilized to evaluate DUX4 activity in discovery research efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy E. Campbell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | | | - Oliver D. King
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Rabi Tawil
- Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Sujatha Jagannathan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
- RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
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6
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Caputo V, Megalizzi D, Fabrizio C, Termine A, Colantoni L, Caltagirone C, Giardina E, Cascella R, Strafella C. Update on the Molecular Aspects and Methods Underlying the Complex Architecture of FSHD. Cells 2022; 11:cells11172687. [PMID: 36078093 PMCID: PMC9454908 DOI: 10.3390/cells11172687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the knowledge of the main mechanisms involved in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), the high heterogeneity and variable penetrance of the disease complicate the diagnosis, characterization and genotype–phenotype correlation of patients and families, raising the need for further research and data. Thus, the present review provides an update of the main molecular aspects underlying the complex architecture of FSHD, including the genetic factors (related to D4Z4 repeated units and FSHD-associated genes), epigenetic elements (D4Z4 methylation status, non-coding RNAs and high-order chromatin interactions) and gene expression profiles (FSHD transcriptome signatures both at bulk tissue and single-cell level). In addition, the review will also describe the methods currently available for investigating the above-mentioned features and how the resulting data may be combined with artificial-intelligence-based pipelines, with the purpose of developing a multifunctional tool tailored to enhancing the knowledge of disease pathophysiology and progression and fostering the research for novel treatment strategies, as well as clinically useful biomarkers. In conclusion, the present review highlights how FSHD should be regarded as a disease characterized by a molecular spectrum of genetic and epigenetic factors, whose alteration plays a differential role in DUX4 repression and, subsequently, contributes to determining the FSHD phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerio Caputo
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory-UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, 00179 Rome, Italy
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Domenica Megalizzi
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory-UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, 00179 Rome, Italy
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Fabrizio
- Data Science Unit, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Termine
- Data Science Unit, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Colantoni
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory-UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Caltagirone
- Department of Clinical and Behavorial Neurology, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Emiliano Giardina
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory-UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, 00179 Rome, Italy
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0651501550
| | - Raffaella Cascella
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory-UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, 00179 Rome, Italy
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Strafella
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory-UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, 00179 Rome, Italy
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, 00133 Rome, Italy
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7
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Nunes AM, Ramirez M, Jones TI, Jones PL. Identification of candidate miRNA biomarkers for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy using DUX4-based mouse models. Dis Model Mech 2021; 14:271934. [PMID: 34338285 PMCID: PMC8405850 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is caused by misexpression of DUX4 in skeletal myocytes. As DUX4 is the key therapeutic target in FSHD, surrogate biomarkers of DUX4 expression in skeletal muscle are critically needed for clinical trials. Although no natural animal models of FSHD exist, transgenic mice with inducible DUX4 expression in skeletal muscles rapidly develop myopathic phenotypes consistent with FSHD. Here, we established a new, more-accurate FSHD-like mouse model based on chronic DUX4 expression in a small fraction of skeletal myonuclei that develops pathology mimicking key aspects of FSHD across its lifespan. Utilizing this new aged mouse model and DUX4-inducible mouse models, we characterized the DUX4-related microRNA signatures in skeletal muscles, which represent potential biomarkers for FSHD. We found increased expression of miR-31-5p and miR-206 in muscles expressing different levels of DUX4 and displaying varying degrees of pathology. Importantly, miR-206 expression is significantly increased in serum samples from FSHD patients compared with healthy controls. Our data support miR-31-5p and miR-206 as new potential regulators of muscle pathology and miR-206 as a potential circulating biomarker for FSHD. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper. Summary: Candidate miRNA biomarkers for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) were identified using FSHD-like mouse models that present cumulative pathology from chronic expression of DUX4 in skeletal muscles and confirmed in FSHD patient serum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreia M Nunes
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Monique Ramirez
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Takako I Jones
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Peter L Jones
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV 89557, USA
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8
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Banerji CRS, Zammit PS. Pathomechanisms and biomarkers in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy: roles of DUX4 and PAX7. EMBO Mol Med 2021; 13:e13695. [PMID: 34151531 PMCID: PMC8350899 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202013695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is characterised by progressive skeletal muscle weakness and wasting. FSHD is linked to epigenetic derepression of the subtelomeric D4Z4 macrosatellite at chromosome 4q35. Epigenetic derepression permits the distal-most D4Z4 unit to transcribe DUX4, with transcripts stabilised by splicing to a poly(A) signal on permissive 4qA haplotypes. The pioneer transcription factor DUX4 activates target genes that are proposed to drive FSHD pathology. While this toxic gain-of-function model is a satisfying "bottom-up" genotype-to-phenotype link, DUX4 is rarely detectable in muscle and DUX4 target gene expression is inconsistent in patients. A reliable biomarker for FSHD is suppression of a target gene score of PAX7, a master regulator of myogenesis. However, it is unclear how this "top-down" finding links to genomic changes that characterise FSHD and to DUX4. Here, we explore the roles and interactions of DUX4 and PAX7 in FSHD pathology and how the relationship between these two transcription factors deepens understanding via the immune system and muscle regeneration. Considering how FSHD pathomechanisms are represented by "DUX4opathy" models has implications for developing therapies and current clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Peter S Zammit
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular BiophysicsKing's College LondonLondonUK
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9
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Signorelli M, Ebrahimpoor M, Veth O, Hettne K, Verwey N, García‐Rodríguez R, Tanganyika‐deWinter CL, Lopez Hernandez LB, Escobar Cedillo R, Gómez Díaz B, Magnusson OT, Mei H, Tsonaka R, Aartsma‐Rus A, Spitali P. Peripheral blood transcriptome profiling enables monitoring disease progression in dystrophic mice and patients. EMBO Mol Med 2021; 13:e13328. [PMID: 33751844 PMCID: PMC8033515 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202013328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
DMD is a rare disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and premature death. Therapy development is delayed by difficulties to monitor efficacy non-invasively in clinical trials. In this study, we used RNA-sequencing to describe the pathophysiological changes in skeletal muscle of 3 dystrophic mouse models. We show how dystrophic changes in muscle are reflected in blood by analyzing paired muscle and blood samples. Analysis of repeated blood measurements followed the dystrophic signature at five equally spaced time points over a period of seven months. Treatment with two antisense drugs harboring different levels of dystrophin recovery identified genes associated with safety and efficacy. Evaluation of the blood gene expression in a cohort of DMD patients enabled the comparison between preclinical models and patients, and the identification of genes associated with physical performance, treatment with corticosteroids and body measures. The presented results provide evidence that blood RNA-sequencing can serve as a tool to evaluate disease progression in dystrophic mice and patients, as well as to monitor response to (dystrophin-restoring) therapies in preclinical drug development and in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirko Signorelli
- Department of Biomedical Data SciencesLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Mitra Ebrahimpoor
- Department of Biomedical Data SciencesLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Olga Veth
- Department of Human GeneticsLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Kristina Hettne
- Department of Human GeneticsLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Nisha Verwey
- Department of Human GeneticsLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | | | | | - Luz B Lopez Hernandez
- Departamento de Medicina GenómicaUniversidad Autónoma de GuadalajaraGuadalajaraMexico
- Centro Médico Nacional "20 de Noviembre", ISSSTECiudad de MéxicoMexico
| | | | - Benjamín Gómez Díaz
- Sociedad Mexicana de la Distrofia Muscular A.C INR‐LGIICiudad de MéxicoMexico
| | | | - Hailiang Mei
- Sequencing Analysis Support CoreLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Roula Tsonaka
- Department of Biomedical Data SciencesLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | | | - Pietro Spitali
- Department of Human GeneticsLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
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