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Szwec S, Kapłucha Z, Chamberlain JS, Konieczny P. Dystrophin- and Utrophin-Based Therapeutic Approaches for Treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: A Comparative Review. BioDrugs 2024; 38:95-119. [PMID: 37917377 PMCID: PMC10789850 DOI: 10.1007/s40259-023-00632-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a devastating disease that leads to progressive muscle loss and premature death. While medical management focuses mostly on symptomatic treatment, decades of research have resulted in first therapeutics able to restore the affected reading frame of dystrophin transcripts or induce synthesis of a truncated dystrophin protein from a vector, with other strategies based on gene therapy and cell signaling in preclinical or clinical development. Nevertheless, recent reports show that potentially therapeutic dystrophins can be immunogenic in patients. This raises the question of whether a dystrophin paralog, utrophin, could be a more suitable therapeutic protein. Here, we compare dystrophin and utrophin amino acid sequences and structures, combining published data with our extended in silico analyses. We then discuss these results in the context of therapeutic approaches for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Specifically, we focus on strategies based on delivery of micro-dystrophin and micro-utrophin genes with recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors, exon skipping of the mutated dystrophin pre-mRNAs, reading through termination codons with small molecules that mask premature stop codons, dystrophin gene repair by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9)-mediated genetic engineering, and increasing utrophin levels. Our analyses highlight the importance of various dystrophin and utrophin domains in Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment, providing insights into designing novel therapeutic compounds with improved efficacy and decreased immunoreactivity. While the necessary actin and β-dystroglycan binding sites are present in both proteins, important functional distinctions can be identified in these domains and some other parts of truncated dystrophins might need redesigning due to their potentially immunogenic qualities. Alternatively, therapies based on utrophins might provide a safer and more effective approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylwia Szwec
- Institute of Human Biology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, ul. Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614, Poznań, Poland
| | - Zuzanna Kapłucha
- Institute of Human Biology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, ul. Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614, Poznań, Poland
| | - Jeffrey S Chamberlain
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98109-8055, USA
- Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Center, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98109-8055, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98109-8055, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98109-8055, USA
| | - Patryk Konieczny
- Institute of Human Biology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, ul. Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614, Poznań, Poland.
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Lin ZJ, Huang BX, Su LF, Zhu SY, He JW, Chen GZ, Lin PX. Sub-region analysis of DMD gene in cases with idiopathic generalized epilepsy. Neurogenetics 2023; 24:161-169. [PMID: 37022522 DOI: 10.1007/s10048-023-00715-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: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
Gene sub-region encoded protein domain is the basic unit for protein structure and function. The DMD gene is the largest coding gene in humans, with its phenotype relevant to idiopathic generalized epilepsy. We hypothesized variants clustered in sub-regions of idiopathic generalized epilepsy genes and investigated the relationship between the DMD gene and idiopathic generalized epilepsy. Whole exome sequencing was performed in 106 idiopathic generalized epilepsy individuals. DMD variants were filtered with variant type, allele frequency, in silico prediction, hemizygous or homozygous status in the population, inheritance mode, and domain location. Variants located at the sub-regions were selected by the subRVIS software. The pathogenicity of variants was evaluated by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics criteria. Articles on functional studies related to epilepsy for variants clustered protein domains were reviewed. In sub-regions of the DMD gene, two variants were identified in two unrelated cases with juvenile absence epilepsy or juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. The pathogenicity of both variants was uncertain significance. Allele frequency of both variants in probands with idiopathic generalized epilepsy reached statistical significance compared with the population (Fisher's test, p = 2.02 × 10-6, adjusted α = 4.52 × 10-6). The variants clustered in the spectrin domain of dystrophin, which binds to glycoprotein complexes and indirectly affects ion channels contributing to epileptogenesis. Gene sub-region analysis suggests a weak association between the DMD gene and idiopathic generalized epilepsy. Functional analysis of gene sub-region helps infer the pathogenesis of idiopathic generalized epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Jian Lin
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Putian University, Brain Science Institute of Putian University, 999 Dongzhen East Road, Licheng District, Putian, 351100, China
| | - Bi-Xia Huang
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Putian University, Brain Science Institute of Putian University, 999 Dongzhen East Road, Licheng District, Putian, 351100, China
| | - Li-Fang Su
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Putian University, Brain Science Institute of Putian University, 999 Dongzhen East Road, Licheng District, Putian, 351100, China
| | - Sheng-Yin Zhu
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Putian University, Brain Science Institute of Putian University, 999 Dongzhen East Road, Licheng District, Putian, 351100, China
| | - Jun-Wei He
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Putian University, Brain Science Institute of Putian University, 999 Dongzhen East Road, Licheng District, Putian, 351100, China
| | - Guo-Zhang Chen
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Putian University, Brain Science Institute of Putian University, 999 Dongzhen East Road, Licheng District, Putian, 351100, China
| | - Peng-Xing Lin
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Putian University, Brain Science Institute of Putian University, 999 Dongzhen East Road, Licheng District, Putian, 351100, China.
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Heier CR, McCormack NM, Tully CB, Novak JS, Newell‐Stamper BL, Russell AJ, Fiorillo AA. The X-linked Becker muscular dystrophy (bmx) mouse models Becker muscular dystrophy via deletion of murine dystrophin exons 45-47. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle 2023; 14:940-954. [PMID: 36628607 PMCID: PMC10067474 DOI: 10.1002/jcsm.13171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) is a genetic neuromuscular disease of growing importance caused by in-frame, partial loss-of-function mutations in the dystrophin (DMD) gene. BMD presents with reduced severity compared with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), the allelic disorder of complete dystrophin deficiency. Significant therapeutic advancements have been made in DMD, including four FDA-approved drugs. BMD, however, is understudied and underserved-there are no drugs and few clinical trials. Discordance in therapeutic efforts is due in part to lack of a BMD mouse model which would enable greater understanding of disease and de-risk potential therapeutics before first-in-human trials. Importantly, a BMD mouse model is becoming increasingly critical as emerging DMD dystrophin restoration therapies aim to convert a DMD genotype into a BMD phenotype. METHODS We use CRISPR/Cas9 technology to generate bmx (Becker muscular dystrophy, X-linked) mice, which express an in-frame ~40 000 bp deletion of exons 45-47 in the murine Dmd gene, reproducing the most common BMD patient mutation. Here, we characterize muscle pathogenesis using molecular and histological techniques and then test skeletal muscle and cardiac function using muscle function assays and echocardiography. RESULTS Overall, bmx mice present with significant muscle weakness and heart dysfunction versus wild-type (WT) mice, despite a substantial improvement in pathology over dystrophin-null mdx52 mice. bmx mice show impaired motor function in grip strength (-39%, P < 0.0001), wire hang (P = 0.0025), and in vivo as well as ex vivo force assays. In aged bmx, echocardiography reveals decreased heart function through reduced fractional shortening (-25%, P = 0.0036). Additionally, muscle-specific serum CK is increased >60-fold (P < 0.0001), indicating increased muscle damage. Histologically, bmx muscles display increased myofibre size variability (minimal Feret's diameter: P = 0.0017) and centrally located nuclei indicating degeneration/regeneration (P < 0.0001). bmx muscles also display dystrophic pathology; however, levels of the following parameters are moderate in comparison with mdx52: inflammatory/necrotic foci (P < 0.0001), collagen deposition (+1.4-fold, P = 0.0217), and sarcolemmal damage measured by intracellular IgM (P = 0.0878). Like BMD patients, bmx muscles show reduced dystrophin protein levels (~20-50% of WT), whereas Dmd transcript levels are unchanged. At the molecular level, bmx muscles express increased levels of inflammatory genes, inflammatory miRNAs and fibrosis genes. CONCLUSIONS The bmx mouse recapitulates BMD disease phenotypes with histological, molecular and functional deficits. Importantly, it can inform both BMD pathology and DMD dystrophin restoration therapies. This novel model will enable further characterization of BMD disease progression, identification of biomarkers, identification of therapeutic targets and new preclinical drug studies aimed at developing therapies for BMD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R. Heier
- Center for Genetic Medicine ResearchChildren's National HospitalWashingtonDCUSA
- Department of Genomics and Precision MedicineGeorge Washington University School of Medicine and Health SciencesWashingtonDCUSA
| | - Nikki M. McCormack
- Center for Genetic Medicine ResearchChildren's National HospitalWashingtonDCUSA
| | | | - James S. Novak
- Center for Genetic Medicine ResearchChildren's National HospitalWashingtonDCUSA
- Department of Genomics and Precision MedicineGeorge Washington University School of Medicine and Health SciencesWashingtonDCUSA
| | | | - Alan J. Russell
- Edgewise Therapeutics, BioFrontiers InstituteUniversity of ColoradoBoulderCO80303USA
| | - Alyson A. Fiorillo
- Center for Genetic Medicine ResearchChildren's National HospitalWashingtonDCUSA
- Department of Genomics and Precision MedicineGeorge Washington University School of Medicine and Health SciencesWashingtonDCUSA
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Pathophysiology and Management of Fatigue in Neuromuscular Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24055005. [PMID: 36902435 PMCID: PMC10003182 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24055005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Fatigue is a major determinant of quality of life and motor function in patients affected by several neuromuscular diseases, each of them characterized by a peculiar physiopathology and the involvement of numerous interplaying factors. This narrative review aims to provide an overview on the pathophysiology of fatigue at a biochemical and molecular level with regard to muscular dystrophies, metabolic myopathies, and primary mitochondrial disorders with a focus on mitochondrial myopathies and spinal muscular atrophy, which, although fulfilling the definition of rare diseases, as a group represent a representative ensemble of neuromuscular disorders that the neurologist may encounter in clinical practice. The current use of clinical and instrumental tools for fatigue assessment, and their significance, is discussed. A summary of therapeutic approaches to address fatigue, encompassing pharmacological treatment and physical exercise, is also overviewed.
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Cáceres-Ayala C, Mira RG, Acuña MJ, Brandan E, Cerpa W, Rebolledo DL. Episodic Binge-like Ethanol Reduces Skeletal Muscle Strength Associated with Atrophy, Fibrosis, and Inflammation in Young Rats. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021655. [PMID: 36675170 PMCID: PMC9861047 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Binge Drinking (BD) corresponds to episodes of ingestion of large amounts of ethanol in a short time, typically ≤2 h. BD occurs across all populations, but young and sports-related people are especially vulnerable. However, the short- and long-term effects of episodic BD on skeletal muscle function have been poorly explored. Young rats were randomized into two groups: control and episodic Binge-Like ethanol protocol (BEP) (ethanol 3 g/kg IP, 4 episodes of 2-days ON-2-days OFF paradigm). Muscle function was evaluated two weeks after the last BEP episode. We found that rats exposed to BEP presented decreased muscle strength and increased fatigability, compared with control animals. Furthermore, we observed that skeletal muscle from rats exposed to BEP presented muscle atrophy, evidenced by reduced fiber size and increased expression of atrophic genes. We also observed that BEP induced fibrotic and inflammation markers, accompanied by mislocalization of nNOSµ and high levels of protein nitration. Our findings suggest that episodic binge-like ethanol exposure alters contractile capacity and increases fatigue by mechanisms involving atrophy, fibrosis, and inflammation, which remain for at least two weeks after ethanol clearance. These pathological features are common to several neuromuscular diseases and might affect muscle performance and health in the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constanza Cáceres-Ayala
- Centro de Excelencia en Biomedicina de Magallanes (CEBIMA), Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas 6213515, Chile
- Laboratorio de Función y Patología Neuronal, Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
| | - Rodrigo G. Mira
- Centro de Excelencia en Biomedicina de Magallanes (CEBIMA), Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas 6213515, Chile
- Laboratorio de Función y Patología Neuronal, Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
| | - María José Acuña
- Centro Integrativo de Biología y Química Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, Santiago 8370854, Chile
- Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia Ciencia & Vida, Santiago 7780272, Chile
| | - Enrique Brandan
- Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia Ciencia & Vida, Santiago 7780272, Chile
- Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago 7510157, Chile
- Centro de Envejecimiento y Regeneración (CARE), Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
| | - Waldo Cerpa
- Centro de Excelencia en Biomedicina de Magallanes (CEBIMA), Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas 6213515, Chile
- Laboratorio de Función y Patología Neuronal, Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
- Centro de Envejecimiento y Regeneración (CARE), Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
- Correspondence: (W.C.); (D.L.R.)
| | - Daniela L. Rebolledo
- Centro de Excelencia en Biomedicina de Magallanes (CEBIMA), Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas 6213515, Chile
- Centro de Envejecimiento y Regeneración (CARE), Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
- Correspondence: (W.C.); (D.L.R.)
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6
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Chey YCJ, Arudkumar J, Aartsma-Rus A, Adikusuma F, Thomas PQ. CRISPR applications for Duchenne muscular dystrophy: From animal models to potential therapies. WIREs Mech Dis 2023; 15:e1580. [PMID: 35909075 PMCID: PMC10078488 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR gene-editing technology creates precise and permanent modifications to DNA. It has significantly advanced our ability to generate animal disease models for use in biomedical research and also has potential to revolutionize the treatment of genetic disorders. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a monogenic muscle-wasting disease that could potentially benefit from the development of CRISPR therapy. It is commonly associated with mutations that disrupt the reading frame of the DMD gene that encodes dystrophin, an essential scaffolding protein that stabilizes striated muscles and protects them from contractile-induced damage. CRISPR enables the rapid generation of various animal models harboring mutations that closely simulates the wide variety of mutations observed in DMD patients. These models provide a platform for the testing of sequence-specific interventions like CRISPR therapy that aim to reframe or skip DMD mutations to restore functional dystrophin expression. This article is categorized under: Congenital Diseases > Genetics/Genomics/Epigenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu C J Chey
- School of Biomedicine and Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,Genome Editing Program, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Jayshen Arudkumar
- School of Biomedicine and Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,Genome Editing Program, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Annemieke Aartsma-Rus
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Fatwa Adikusuma
- School of Biomedicine and Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,Genome Editing Program, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,CSIRO Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform, Canberra, Australia
| | - Paul Q Thomas
- School of Biomedicine and Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,Genome Editing Program, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,South Australian Genome Editing (SAGE), South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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7
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Ahmed Z, Qaisar R. Nanomedicine for Treating Muscle Dystrophies: Opportunities, Challenges, and Future Perspectives. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231912039. [PMID: 36233338 PMCID: PMC9569435 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231912039] [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: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Muscular dystrophies are a group of genetic muscular diseases characterized by impaired muscle regeneration, which leads to pathological inflammation that drives muscle wasting and eventually results in weakness, functional dependency, and premature death. The most known causes of death include respiratory muscle failure due to diaphragm muscle decay. There is no definitive treatment for muscular dystrophies, and conventional therapies aim to ameliorate muscle wasting by promoting physiological muscle regeneration and growth. However, their effects on muscle function remain limited, illustrating the requirement for major advancements in novel approaches to treatments, such as nanomedicine. Nanomedicine is a rapidly evolving field that seeks to optimize drug delivery to target tissues by merging pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences. However, the therapeutic potential of nanomedicine in muscular dystrophies is poorly understood. This review highlights recent work in the application of nanomedicine in treating muscular dystrophies. First, we discuss the history and applications of nanomedicine from a broader perspective. Second, we address the use of nanoparticles for drug delivery, gene regulation, and editing to target Duchenne muscular dystrophy and myotonic dystrophy. Next, we highlight the potential hindrances and limitations of using nanomedicine in the context of cell culture and animal models. Finally, the future perspectives for using nanomedicine in clinics are summarized with relevance to muscular dystrophies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaheer Ahmed
- Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Rizwan Qaisar
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Cardiovascular Research Group, Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +971-6505-7254; Fax: +971-6558-5879
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8
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Wu R, Song Y, Wu S, Chen Y. Promising therapeutic approaches of utrophin replacing dystrophin in the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fmre.2022.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
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Abstract
AbstractBiophysical studies have a very high impact on the understanding of internalization, molecular mechanisms, interactions, and localization of CPPs and CPP/cargo conjugates in live cells or in vivo. Biophysical studies are often first carried out in test-tube set-ups or in vitro, leading to the complicated in vivo systems. This review describes recent studies of CPP internalization, mechanisms, and localization. The multiple methods in these studies reveal different novel and important aspects and define the rules for CPP mechanisms, hopefully leading to their improved applicability to novel and safe therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matjaž Zorko
- University of Ljubljana, Medical Faculty, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Vrazov trg 2, 1000Ljubljana, Slovenia,
| | - Ülo Langel
- University of Stockholm, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Svante Arrhenius väg 16, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden, , and Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, Tartu, Estonia, 50411
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10
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Hrach HC, O'Brien S, Steber HS, Newbern J, Rawls A, Mangone M. Transcriptome changes during the initiation and progression of Duchenne muscular dystrophy in Caenorhabditis elegans. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 29:1607-1623. [PMID: 32227114 PMCID: PMC7322572 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a lethal, X-linked disease characterized by progressive muscle degeneration. The condition is driven by nonsense and missense mutations in the dystrophin gene, leading to instability of the sarcolemma and skeletal muscle necrosis and atrophy. Resulting changes in muscle-specific gene expression that take place in dystrophin's absence remain largely uncharacterized, as they are potentially obscured by the chronic inflammation elicited by muscle damage in humans. Caenorhabditis elegans possess a mild inflammatory response that is not active in the muscle, and lack a satellite cell equivalent. This allows for the characterization of the transcriptome rearrangements affecting disease progression independently of inflammation and regeneration. In effort to better understand these dynamics, we have isolated and sequenced body muscle-specific transcriptomes from C. elegans lacking functional dystrophin at distinct stages of disease progression. We have identified an upregulation of genes involved in mitochondrial function early in disease progression, and an upregulation of genes related to muscle repair in later stages. Our results suggest that in C. elegans, dystrophin may have a signaling role early in development, and its absence may activate compensatory mechanisms that counteract muscle degradation caused by loss of dystrophin. We have also developed a temperature-based screening method for synthetic paralysis that can be used to rapidly identify genetic partners of dystrophin. Our results allow for the comprehensive identification of transcriptome changes that potentially serve as independent drivers of disease progression and may in turn allow for the identification of new therapeutic targets for the treatment of DMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather C Hrach
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, School of Life Sciences, 427 East Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287 4501, USA.,Virginia G. Piper Center for Personalized Diagnostics, The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, 1001 S McAllister Ave, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Shannon O'Brien
- Virginia G. Piper Center for Personalized Diagnostics, The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, 1001 S McAllister Ave, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA.,Barrett Honors College, Arizona State University, 751 E Lemon Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Hannah S Steber
- Barrett Honors College, Arizona State University, 751 E Lemon Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Jason Newbern
- School of Life Sciences, 427 East Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287 4501, USA
| | - Alan Rawls
- School of Life Sciences, 427 East Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287 4501, USA
| | - Marco Mangone
- Virginia G. Piper Center for Personalized Diagnostics, The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, 1001 S McAllister Ave, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
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11
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Chu X, Li J, Qiao C, Wang J, Wang Y, Jiang XC, You H, Xiao X, Wang B. Long-term effect of human mini-dystrophin in transgenic mdx mice improves muscle physiological function. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21628. [PMID: 33982338 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202100057rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a lethal genetic muscle disorder caused by recessive mutations in dystrophin gene, affecting 1/3000 males. Gene therapy has been proven to ameliorate dystrophic pathology. To investigate therapeutic benefits from long-term effect of human mini-dystrophin and functional outcomes, transgenic mdx mice (Tg-mdx) containing a single copy of human mini-dystrophin (∆hDys3849) gene, five rods (Rods1-2, Rods22-24), and two hinges (H1 and H4) driven by a truncated creatine-kinase promoter (dMCK) in a recombinant adeno-associated viral vector (rAAV) backbone, were generated and used to determine gene expression and improvement of muscle function. Human mini-dystrophin gene expression was found in a majority of the skeletal muscles, but no expression in cardiac muscle. Dystrophin-associated glycoproteins (DAGs) such as sarcoglycans and nNOS were restored at the sarcolemma and coincided with human mini-dystrophin gene expression at the ages of 6, 10, and 20 months; Morphology of dystrophic muscle expressing the human mini-dystrophin gene was improved and central nuclei were reduced. Myofiber membrane integrity was improved by Evans blue dye test. Improvement in treadmill running and grip force was observed in transgenic mice at 6 months. Tetanic force and specific force of tibialis anterior (TA) muscle were significantly increased at the ages of 6, 10, and 20 months. Pseudohypertrophy was not found in TA muscle at 10 and 20 months when compared with wild-type C57 (WT) group. This study demonstrated that the long-term effects of human mini-dystrophin effectively ameliorated pathology and improved the functions of the dystrophic muscles in the transgenic DMD mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyu Chu
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Orthopedics, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Juan Li
- Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Chunping Qiao
- Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yiqing Wang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Xian-Cheng Jiang
- Department of Cell Biology, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Hongbo You
- Department of Orthopedics, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiao Xiao
- Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Bing Wang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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