scholarly journals Baricitinib, a JAK-STAT Inhibitor, Reduces the Cellular Toxicity of the Farnesyltransferase Inhibitor Lonafarnib in Progeria Cells

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (14) ◽  
pp. 7474
Author(s):  
Rouven Arnold ◽  
Elena Vehns ◽  
Hannah Randl ◽  
Karima Djabali

Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is an ultra-rare multisystem premature aging disorder that leads to early death (mean age of 14.7 years) due to myocardial infarction or stroke. Most cases have a de novo point mutation at position G608G within exon 11 of the LMNA gene. This mutation leads to the production of a permanently farnesylated truncated prelamin A protein called “progerin” that is toxic to the cells. Recently, farnesyltransferase inhibitor (FTI) lonafarnib has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of patients with HGPS. While lonafarnib treatment irrefutably ameliorates HGPS disease, it is however not a cure. FTI has been shown to cause several cellular side effects, including genomic instability as well as binucleated and donut-shaped nuclei. We report that, in addition to these cellular stresses, FTI caused an increased frequency of cytosolic DNA fragment formation. These extranuclear DNA fragments colocalized with cGAs and activated the cGAS-STING-STAT1 signaling axis, upregulating the expression of proinflammatory cytokines in FTI-treated human HGPS fibroblasts. Treatment with lonafarnib and baricitinib, a JAK-STAT inhibitor, not only prevented the activation of the cGAS STING-STAT1 pathway, but also improved the overall HGPS cellular homeostasis. These ameliorations included progerin levels, nuclear shape, proteostasis, cellular ATP, proliferation, and the reduction of cellular inflammation and senescence. Thus, we suggest that combining lonafarnib with baricitinib might provide an opportunity to reduce FTI cellular toxicity and ameliorate HGPS symptoms further than lonafarnib alone.

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. NP244-NP246
Author(s):  
Rui Pedro Soares Cerejo ◽  
Rui A. N. Rodrigues ◽  
José D. Martins ◽  
Carolina G. E. C. Torres ◽  
Lídia M. Sousa ◽  
...  

Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome is a rare genetic disorder, characterized by progressive premature aging and early death in the first or second decade of life, usually secondary to cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction and stroke). We report a case of a 14-year-old boy with progeria syndrome and cardiac arrest due to myocardial infarction, who was submitted to an immediate coronary angiography which revealed left main stem and three-vessel coronary artery disease. A prompt double bypass coronary artery grafting surgery was performed, and, despite successful coronary reperfusion, the patient remained in coma and brain death was declared on fourth day after surgery.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mekha Rajeev ◽  
Chameli Ratan ◽  
Karthik Krishnan ◽  
Meenu Vijayan

Background: Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) also known as progeria of childhood or progeria is a rare, rapid, autosomal dominant genetic disorder characterized by premature aging which occurs shortly after birth. HGPS occurs as a result of de novo point mutation in the gene recognized as LMNA gene that encodes two proteins Lamin A protein and Lamin C protein which are the structural components of the nuclear envelope. Mutations in the gene trigger abnormal splicing and induce internal deletion of 50 amino acids leading to the development of a truncated form of Lamin A protein known as Progerin. Progerin generation can be considered as the crucial step in HGPS since the protein is highly toxic to human cells, permanently farnesylated, and exhibits variation in several biochemical and structural properties within the individual. HGPS also produces complications such as skin alterations, growth failure, atherosclerosis, hair and fat loss, and bone and joint diseases. We have also revised all relevant patents relating to Hutchinson-gilford progeria syndrome and its therapy in the current article. Method: The goal of the present review article is to provide information about Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) and the use of CRISPR/Cas technology as a promising treatment approach in the treatment of the disease. The review also discusses about different pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods of treatment currently used for HGPS. Results : The main limitation associated with progeria is the lack of a definitive cure. The existing treatment modality provides only symptomatic relief. Therefore, it is high time to develop a therapeutic method that hastens premature aging in such patients. Conclusion: CRISPR/Cas technology is a novel gene-editing tool that allows genome editing at specific loci, and is found to be a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of genetic disorders such as HGPS where dominant-negative mutations take place.


2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 1279-1293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Strandgren ◽  
Gwladys Revêchon ◽  
Agustín Sola Carvajal ◽  
Maria Eriksson

Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS, progeria) is an extremely rare premature aging disorder affecting children, with a disease incidence of ∼1 in 18 million individuals. HGPS is usually caused by a de novo point mutation in exon 11 of the LMNA gene (c.1824C>T, p.G608G), resulting in the increased usage of a cryptic splice site and production of a truncated unprocessed lamin A protein named progerin. Since the genetic cause for HGPS was published in 2003, numerous potential treatment options have rapidly emerged. Strategies to interfere with the post-translational processing of lamin A, to enhance progerin clearance, or directly target the HGPS mutation to reduce the progerin-producing alternative splicing of the LMNA gene have been developed. Here, we give an up-to-date resume of the contributions made by our and other research groups to the growing list of different candidate treatment strategies that have been tested, both in vitro, in vivo in mouse models for HGPS and in clinical trials in HGPS patients.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 153
Author(s):  
Jennifer M. Röhrl ◽  
Rouven Arnold ◽  
Karima Djabali

Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a rare premature aging disease caused by a mutation in LMNA. A G608G mutation in exon 11 of LMNA is responsible for most HGPS cases, generating a truncated protein called “progerin”. Progerin is permanently farnesylated and accumulates in HGPS cells, causing multiple cellular defects such as nuclear dysmorphism, a thickened lamina, loss of heterochromatin, premature senescence, and clustering of Nuclear Pore Complexes (NPC). To identify the mechanism of NPC clustering in HGPS cells, we evaluated post-mitotic NPC assembly in control and HGPS cells and found no defects. Next, we examined the occurrence of NPC clustering in control and HGPS cells during replicative senescence. We reported that NPC clustering occurs solely in the dysmorphic nuclei of control and HGPS cells. Hence, NPC clustering occurred at a higher frequency in HGPS cells compared to control cells at early passages; however, in late cultures with similar senescence index, NPCs clustering occurred at a similar rate in both control and HGPS. Our results show that progerin does not disrupt post-mitotic reassembly of NPCs. However, NPCs frequently cluster in dysmorphic nuclei with a high progerin content. Additionally, nuclear envelope defects that arise during replicative senescence cause NPC clustering in senescent cells with dysmorphic nuclei.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (460) ◽  
pp. eaat7163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul H. Kim ◽  
Jennings Luu ◽  
Patrick Heizer ◽  
Yiping Tu ◽  
Thomas A. Weston ◽  
...  

Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome is a disorder of premature aging in children caused by de novo mutations in LMNA that lead to the synthesis of an internally truncated form of prelamin A (commonly called progerin). The production of progerin causes multiple disease phenotypes, including an unusual vascular phenotype characterized by the loss of smooth muscle cells in the arterial media and fibrosis of the adventitia. We show that progerin expression, combined with mechanical stress, promotes smooth muscle cell death. Disrupting the linker of the nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton (LINC) complex in smooth muscle cells ameliorates the toxic effects of progerin on smooth muscle cells and limits the accompanying adventitial fibrosis.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 809-824 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fang Wang ◽  
Weiqi Zhang ◽  
Qiaoyan Yang ◽  
Yu Kang ◽  
Yanling Fan ◽  
...  

Abstract Many human genetic diseases, including Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS), are caused by single point mutations. HGPS is a rare disorder that causes premature aging and is usually caused by a de novo point mutation in the LMNA gene. Base editors (BEs) composed of a cytidine deaminase fused to CRISPR/Cas9 nickase are highly efficient at inducing C to T base conversions in a programmable manner and can be used to generate animal disease models with single amino-acid substitutions. Here, we generated the first HGPS monkey model by delivering a BE mRNA and guide RNA (gRNA) targeting the LMNA gene via microinjection into monkey zygotes. Five out of six newborn monkeys carried the mutation specifically at the target site. HGPS monkeys expressed the toxic form of lamin A, progerin, and recapitulated the typical HGPS phenotypes including growth retardation, bone alterations, and vascular abnormalities. Thus, this monkey model genetically and clinically mimics HGPS in humans, demonstrating that the BE system can efficiently and accurately generate patient-specific disease models in non-human primates.


2008 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 18-22
Author(s):  
Xiaoning He ◽  
Joanna M. Bridger ◽  
Ian R. Kill

Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a rare genetic disease that is characterized by precocious aging in infants and always leads to early death from heart attacks or strokes at a mean age of around 13–14 years. The premature aging is manifest through cutaneous changes resembling normal aged skin, alopecia (hair loss), lipodystrophy, skeletal changes (coxa valga and low bone mineral density, although this may not be due to osteoporosis as in normal aging, but rather a failure to properly develop bone throughout infancy) and intense atherosclerosis. Other changes commonly associated with aging are absent, such as cataracts and diabetes mellitus, and there are no reported problems with cognition or CNS neurology1. Thus HGPS belongs to the small group of genetic disorders called the segmental progeroid syndromes (Figure 1).


2008 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 1389-1392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gemma S. Beard ◽  
Joanna M. Bridger ◽  
Ian R. Kill ◽  
David R.P. Tree

The laminopathy Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is caused by the mutant lamin A protein progerin and leads to premature aging of affected children. Despite numerous cell biological and biochemical insights into the basis for the cellular abnormalities seen in HGPS, the mechanism linking progerin to the organismal phenotype is not fully understood. To begin to address the mechanism behind HGPS using Drosophila melanogaster, we have ectopically expressed progerin and lamin A. We found that ectopic progerin and lamin A phenocopy several effects of laminopathies in developing and adult Drosophila, but that progerin causes a stronger phenotype than wild-type lamin A.


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