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  • Therapeutic Benefit of Auto...
    Lim, Jeong-A; Sun, Baodong; Puertollano, Rosa; Raben, Nina

    Molecular therapy, 07/2018, Volume: 26, Issue: 7
    Journal Article

    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.