The necessity of early treatment for lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) has triggered the development of newborn screening for LSDs in recent years. Here we report the first 70,000 newborns screened ...for Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) type 4A (Morquio syndrome) and other LSDs by an 8-plex assay including the original 4-plex LSD screening tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) assay for Pompe disease, Fabry disease, Gaucher disease, and MPS I disease.
The additional reaction for MPS II, MPS 3B, MPS 4A, and MPS 6 enzymes was performed separately from the 4-plex reaction. The two reactions were quenched and extracted, then combined before carrying out a single 2-min UPLC-MS/MS analysis.
From Mar. 2018 to Apr. 2019, 73,743 newborns were screened with the 8-plex LSD screening assay. The 8-plex assay revealed a better analytical precision than the previous 4-plex assay possibly because the 8-plex was carried out using UPLC-MS/MS. Six newborns were found to have low MPS-4A enzyme (N-acetylgalactosamine-6-sulfatase) activity and biallelic GALNS pathogenic mutations in trans; these patients are presumably affected with MPS4A, making an incidence of one in 12,291 (95% confident interval (CI): 5633-26,817). One mutation, c.857C > T (p.T286 M) of the GALNS gene, accounted 5 of the 12 mutated alleles. These newborns had immature vertebral bodies at 1 month of age, and one case was treated with elosulfase alfa 2 mg/kg/week starting from 4 months of age. Among other MPSs screened, one case of MPS I, 3 cases of MPS II, and 3 cases of MPS 3B were detected. One case of mucolipidosis type III was also diagnosed. In conjunction with another 9 patients of Pompe disease, Gaucher disease, and classical Fabry disease, making an incidence of LSDs as one in 3206 newborns (95% CI: 2137 - 4811). The one with infantile-onset Pompe disease and the one with Gaucher disease were treated since the age of 8 days and 41 days respectively.
Routine newborn screening of MPS 4A and other LSDs were made possible by the 8-plex LSD screening assay. However, detailed phenotype prediction and the time to start treatment will need further elucidation.
Lysosomal storage disorders and peroxisomal disorders are rare diseases caused by the accumulation of substrates of the metabolic pathway within lysosomes and peroxisomes, respectively. Owing to the ...rarity of these diseases, the prevalence of lysosomal storage disorders and peroxisomal disorders in Japan is unknown. Therefore, we conducted a nationwide survey to estimate the number of patients with lysosomal storage disorders and peroxisomal disorders in Japan.
A nationwide survey was conducted following the “Manual of nationwide epidemiological survey for understanding patient number and clinical epidemiology of rare diseases (3rd version)”. A questionnaire asking for detailed information, such as disease phenotypes and medical history, was created and sent to 504 institutions with doctors who have experience in treating patients with lysosomal storage disorders and peroxisomal disorders.
Result
A total of 303 completed questionnaires were collected from 504 institutions (response rate: 60.1%). The number of patients was estimated by calculating the rate/frequency of overlap. The estimated number of patients was 1658 (±264.8) for Fabry disease, 72 (±11.3) for mucopolysaccharidosis I, 275 (±49.9) for mucopolysaccharidosis II, 211 (±31.3) for Gaucher disease, 124 (±25.8) for Pompe disease, 83 (±44.3) for metachromatic leukodystrophy, 57 (±9.4) for Niemann-Pick type C, and 262 (±42.3) for adrenoleukodystrophy. In addition the birth prevalence was calculated using the estimated number of patients and birth year data for each disease, and was 1.25 for Fabry disease, 0.09 for mucopolysaccharidosis I, 0.38 for mucopolysaccharidosis II, 0.19 for Gaucher disease, 0.14 for Pompe disease, 0.16 for metachromatic leukodystrophy, 0.16 for Niemann-Pick type C, and 0.20 for adrenoleukodystrophy.
Among the diseases analyzed, the disease with the highest prevalence was Fabry disease, followed by mucopolysaccharidosis II, adrenoleukodystrophy, Gaucher disease and metachromatic leukodystrophy. In particular, the high prevalence of mucopolysaccharidosis II and Gaucher disease type II was a feature characteristic of Japan.
We estimated the number of patients with lysosomal storage disorders and peroxisomal disorders in Japan. The details of the age at diagnosis and treatment methods for each disease were clarified, and will be useful for the early diagnosis of these patients and to provide appropriate treatments. Furthermore, our results suggest that supportive care and the development of an environment that can provide optimal medical care is important in the future.
Autophagy is a catabolic process with an essential function in the maintenance of cellular and tissue homeostasis. It is primarily recognised for its role in the degradation of dysfunctional proteins ...and unwanted organelles, however in recent years the range of autophagy substrates has also been extended to lipids. Degradation of lipids via autophagy is termed lipophagy. The ability of autophagy to contribute to the maintenance of lipo-homeostasis becomes particularly relevant in the context of genetic lysosomal storage disorders where perturbations of autophagic flux have been suggested to contribute to the disease aetiology. Here we review recent discoveries of the molecular mechanisms mediating lipid turnover by the autophagy pathways. We further focus on the relevance of autophagy, and specifically lipophagy, to the disease mechanisms. Moreover, autophagy is also discussed as a potential therapeutic target in several key lysosomal storage disorders.
Lysosomes as a therapeutic target Bonam, Srinivasa Reddy; Wang, Fengjuan; Muller, Sylviane
Nature reviews. Drug discovery,
12/2019, Volume:
18, Issue:
12
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Lysosomes are membrane-bound organelles with roles in processes involved in degrading and recycling cellular waste, cellular signalling and energy metabolism. Defects in genes encoding lysosomal ...proteins cause lysosomal storage disorders, in which enzyme replacement therapy has proved successful. Growing evidence also implicates roles for lysosomal dysfunction in more common diseases including inflammatory and autoimmune disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer and metabolic disorders. With a focus on lysosomal dysfunction in autoimmune disorders and neurodegenerative diseases - including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease - this Review critically analyses progress and opportunities for therapeutically targeting lysosomal proteins and processes, particularly with small molecules and peptide drugs.
The complexity of the pathogenic cascade in lysosomal storage disorders suggests that combination therapy will be needed to target various aspects of pathogenesis. The standard of care for Pompe ...disease (glycogen storage disease type II), a deficiency of lysosomal acid alpha glucosidase, is enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). Many patients have poor outcomes due to limited efficacy of the drug in clearing muscle glycogen stores. The resistance to therapy is linked to massive autophagic buildup in the diseased muscle. We have explored two strategies to address the problem. Genetic suppression of autophagy in muscle of knockout mice resulted in the removal of autophagic buildup, increase in muscle force, decrease in glycogen level, and near-complete clearance of lysosomal glycogen following ERT. However, this approach leads to accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins, oxidative stress, and exacerbation of muscle atrophy. Another approach involves AAV-mediated TSC knockdown in knockout muscle leading to upregulation of mTOR, inhibition of autophagy, reversal of atrophy, and efficient cellular clearance on ERT. Importantly, this approach reveals the possibility of reversing already established autophagic buildup, rather than preventing its development.
Conventional enzyme replacement therapy for Pompe disease is of limited effectiveness at least in part because of the presence of large areas of autophagic debris in the diseased muscle. Here, Lim et al. explore pros and cons of different ways to manipulate autophagic process in order to improve the therapy. The authors also investigate protein synthesis and degradation in Pompe muscle and suggest a strategy to improve altered proteostasis.
Interest in lysosomal storage diseases in newborn screening programs has increased in recent years. Two techniques, fluorescence (4-MU) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) methods are frequently ...used. We report a pilot study of large scale newborn screening for Fabry, Pompe, Gaucher, and MPS I diseases by using the MS/MS method in Taiwan and compared the performance of the MS/MS with 4-MU methods.
More than 100,000 dried blood spots (DBSs) were collected consecutively as part of the national Taiwan newborn screening programs. The enzyme activities were detected by the MS/MS method from a DBS punch. Mutation analysis was further performed for newborns with detected enzyme deficiency.
The DNA sequence analysis for suspected cases revealed 64 newborns with confirmed Fabry mutations, 16 were classified as infantile or late-onset Pompe disease, and 1 was characterized as Gaucher disease. The positive predict value increased from 4.0% to 7.1% in the Pompe study, and from 61.0% to 95.5% in the Fabry study by the MS/MS method compared to 4-MU assay.
The MS/MS method has been validated as a more specific, powerful and efficient tool than the 4-MU assay. It also provided a multiplex solution of newborn screening for lysosomal storage diseases.
•We reported the largest sample size of Fabry, Pompe, Gaucher and MPS I screening.•MS/MS for multiple lysosomal enzymes can be introduced into newborn screening.•MS/MS method has positive predictive values equal to or better than current assay.•According to NBS, early detection and treatment are beneficial for LSD patients.
Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are a group of lysosomal storage disorders, which lack an enzyme corresponding to the specific type of MPS. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) has been the standard ...therapeutic option for some types of MPS because of the ability to start immediate treatment with feasibility and safety and to improve prognosis. There are several disadvantages for current ERT, such as limited impact to the brain and avascular cartilage, weekly or biweekly infusions lasting 4-5 h, the immune response against the infused enzyme, a short half-life, and the high cost. Clinical studies of ERT have shown limited efficacy in preventing or resolving progression in neurological, cardiovascular, and skeletal diseases. One focus is to penetrate the avascular cartilage area to at least stabilize, if not reverse, musculoskeletal diseases. Although early intervention in some types of MPS has shown improvements in the severity of skeletal dysplasia and stunted growth, this limits the desired effect of ameliorating musculoskeletal disease progression to young MPS patients. Novel ERT strategies are under development to reach the brain: (1) utilizing a fusion protein with monoclonal antibody to target a receptor on the BBB, (2) using a protein complex from plant lectin, glycan, or insulin-like growth factor 2, and (3) direct infusion across the BBB. As for MPS IVA and VI, bone-targeting ERT will be an alternative to improve therapeutic efficacy in bone and cartilage. This review summarizes the effect and limitations on current ERT for MPS and describes the new technology to overcome the obstacles of conventional ERT.
Lysosomal storage disorders characterized by altered metabolism of heparan sulfate, including Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) III and MPS-II, exhibit lysosomal dysfunctions leading to neurodegeneration ...and dementia in children. In lysosomal storage disorders, dementia is preceded by severe and therapy-resistant autistic-like symptoms of unknown cause. Using mouse and cellular models of MPS-IIIA, we discovered that autistic-like behaviours are due to increased proliferation of mesencephalic dopamine neurons originating during embryogenesis, which is not due to lysosomal dysfunction, but to altered HS function. Hyperdopaminergia and autistic-like behaviours are corrected by the dopamine D1-like receptor antagonist SCH-23390, providing a potential alternative strategy to the D2-like antagonist haloperidol that has only minimal therapeutic effects in MPS-IIIA. These findings identify embryonic dopaminergic neurodevelopmental defects due to altered function of HS leading to autistic-like behaviours in MPS-II and MPS-IIIA and support evidence showing that altered HS-related gene function is causative of autism.
We expanded the use of tandem mass spectrometry combined with liquid chromatography (LC-MS/MS) for multiplex newborn screening of seven lysosomal enzymes in dried blood spots (DBS). The new assays ...are for enzymes responsible for the mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS-I, -II, -IIIB, -IVA, -VI, and -VII) and type 2 neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (LINCL).
New substrates were prepared and characterized for tripeptidyl peptidase 1 (TPP1), α-
-acetylglucosaminidase (NAGLU), and lysosomal β-glucuronidase (GUSB). These assays were combined with previously developed assays to provide a multiplex LC-MS/MS assay of 7 lysosomal storage diseases. Multiple reaction monitoring of ion dissociations for enzyme products and deuterium-labeled internal standards was used to quantify the enzyme activities.
Deidentified DBS samples from 62 nonaffected newborns were analyzed to simultaneously determine (run time 2 min per DBS) the activities of TPP1, NAGLU, and GUSB, along with those for α-iduronidase (IDUA), iduronate-2-sulfatase (I2S),
-acetylgalactosamine-6-sulfatase (GALNS), and
-acetylgalactosamine-4-sulfatase (ARSB). The activities measured in the 7-plex format showed assay response-to-blank-activity ratios (analytical ranges) of 102-909 that clearly separated healthy infants from affected children.
The new multiplex assay provides a robust comprehensive newborn screening assay for the mucopolysaccharidoses. The method has been expanded to include additional lysosomal storage diseases.
Glycosphingolipids (GSLs) and gangliosides are a group of bioactive glycolipids that include cerebrosides, globosides, and gangliosides. These lipids play major roles in signal transduction, cell ...adhesion, modulating growth factor/hormone receptor, antigen recognition, and protein trafficking. Specific genetic defects in lysosomal hydrolases disrupt normal GSL and ganglioside metabolism leading to their excess accumulation in cellular compartments, particularly in the lysosome, i.e., lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs). The storage diseases of GSLs and gangliosides affect all organ systems, but the central nervous system (CNS) is primarily involved in many. Current treatments can attenuate the visceral disease, but the management of CNS involvement remains an unmet medical need. Early interventions that alter the CNS disease have shown promise in delaying neurologic involvement in several CNS LSDs. Consequently, effective treatment for such devastating inherited diseases requires an understanding of the early developmental and pathological mechanisms of GSL and ganglioside flux (synthesis and degradation) that underlie the CNS diseases. These are the focus of this review.