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Drugs Feb 2021Lonafarnib (Zokinvy™) is an orally active farnesyltransferase inhibitor developed by Eiger BioPharmaceuticals under license from Merck & Co. for the treatment of... (Review)
Review
Lonafarnib (Zokinvy™) is an orally active farnesyltransferase inhibitor developed by Eiger BioPharmaceuticals under license from Merck & Co. for the treatment of hepatitis D virus (HDV) infections, and progeria and progeroid laminopathies. The drug was originally discovered by Merck & Co as an investigational drug in oncology. In progeria, lonafarnib inhibits farnesyltransferase to prevent farnesylation and subsequent accumulation of progerin and progerin-like proteins in the nucleus and cellular cytoskeleton. In November 2020, lonafarnib received its first approval in the USA to reduce the risk of mortality in Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) and for the treatment of processing-deficient progeroid laminopathies (with either heterozygous LMNA mutation with progerin-like protein accumulation, or homozygous or compound heterozygous ZMPSTE24 mutations) in patients ≥ 12 months of age with a body surface area (BSA) of ≥ 0.39 m. Lonafarnib is under regulatory review in the European Union. Clinical development for the treatment of HDV infections is underway in multiple countries. This article summarizes the milestones in the development of lonafarnib leading to this first approval.
Topics: Antiviral Agents; Enzyme Inhibitors; Farnesyltranstransferase; Hepatitis D; Humans; Piperidines; Progeria; Pyridines
PubMed: 33590450
DOI: 10.1007/s40265-020-01464-z -
Cell Jun 2016Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a rare, invariably fatal premature aging disorder. The disease is caused by constitutive production of progerin, a mutant...
Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a rare, invariably fatal premature aging disorder. The disease is caused by constitutive production of progerin, a mutant form of the nuclear architectural protein lamin A, leading, through unknown mechanisms, to diverse morphological, epigenetic, and genomic damage and to mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) attrition in vivo. Using a high-throughput siRNA screen, we identify the NRF2 antioxidant pathway as a driver mechanism in HGPS. Progerin sequesters NRF2 and thereby causes its subnuclear mislocalization, resulting in impaired NRF2 transcriptional activity and consequently increased chronic oxidative stress. Suppressed NRF2 activity or increased oxidative stress is sufficient to recapitulate HGPS aging defects, whereas reactivation of NRF2 activity in HGPS patient cells reverses progerin-associated nuclear aging defects and restores in vivo viability of MSCs in an animal model. These findings identify repression of the NRF2-mediated antioxidative response as a key contributor to the premature aging phenotype.
Topics: Aging, Premature; Antioxidants; Cell Line; Cell Survival; Mesenchymal Stem Cells; NF-E2-Related Factor 2; Progeria; RNA, Small Interfering; Transcription Factors; Transcription, Genetic
PubMed: 27259148
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.05.017 -
EMBO Molecular Medicine Sep 2017Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a lethal premature and accelerated aging disease caused by a point mutation in encoding A-type lamins. Progerin, a...
Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a lethal premature and accelerated aging disease caused by a point mutation in encoding A-type lamins. Progerin, a truncated and toxic prelamin A issued from aberrant splicing, accumulates in HGPS cells' nuclei and is a hallmark of the disease. Small amounts of progerin are also produced during normal aging. We show that progerin is sequestered into abnormally shaped promyelocytic nuclear bodies, identified as novel biomarkers in late passage HGPS cell lines. We found that the proteasome inhibitor MG132 induces progerin degradation through macroautophagy and strongly reduces progerin production through downregulation of SRSF-1 and SRSF-5 accumulation, controlling prelamin A mRNA aberrant splicing. MG132 treatment improves cellular HGPS phenotypes. MG132 injection in skeletal muscle of mice locally reduces SRSF-1 expression and progerin levels. Altogether, we demonstrate progerin reduction based on MG132 dual action and shed light on a promising class of molecules toward a potential therapy for children with HGPS.
Topics: Animals; Autophagy; Female; Humans; Lamin Type A; Leupeptins; Male; Mice; Mice, Knockout; Progeria; Proteolysis; RNA Splicing; Serine-Arginine Splicing Factors
PubMed: 28674081
DOI: 10.15252/emmm.201607315 -
Aging Jul 2018DNA methylation (DNAm)-based biomarkers of aging have been developed for many tissues and organs. However, these biomarkers have sub-optimal accuracy in fibroblasts and...
DNA methylation (DNAm)-based biomarkers of aging have been developed for many tissues and organs. However, these biomarkers have sub-optimal accuracy in fibroblasts and other cell types used in studies. To address this challenge, we developed a novel and highly robust DNAm age estimator (based on 391 CpGs) for human fibroblasts, keratinocytes, buccal cells, endothelial cells, lymphoblastoid cells, skin, blood, and saliva samples. High age correlations can also be observed in sorted neurons, glia, brain, liver, and even bone samples. Gestational age correlates with DNAm age in cord blood. When used on fibroblasts from Hutchinson Gilford Progeria Syndrome patients, this age estimator (referred to as the skin & blood clock) uncovered an epigenetic age acceleration with a magnitude that is below the sensitivity levels of other DNAm-based biomarkers. Furthermore, this highly sensitive age estimator accurately tracked the dynamic aging of cells cultured and revealed that their proliferation is accompanied by a steady increase in epigenetic age. The skin & blood clock predicts lifespan and it relates to many age-related conditions. Overall, this biomarker is expected to become useful for forensic applications (e.g. blood or buccal swabs) and for a quantitative human cell aging assay.
Topics: Aging; Biological Clocks; Blood Cells; Cellular Senescence; DNA Methylation; Epigenesis, Genetic; Fetal Blood; Fibroblasts; Gene Expression Regulation; Humans; Progeria; Skin Physiological Phenomena
PubMed: 30048243
DOI: 10.18632/aging.101508 -
Cell Death and Differentiation Mar 2019Nuclear abnormalities are prominent in degenerative disease and progeria syndromes. Selective autophagy of organelles is instrumental in maintaining cell homeostasis and... (Review)
Review
Nuclear abnormalities are prominent in degenerative disease and progeria syndromes. Selective autophagy of organelles is instrumental in maintaining cell homeostasis and prevention of premature ageing. Although the nucleus is the control centre of the cell by safeguarding our genetic material and controlling gene expression, little is known in relation to nuclear autophagy. Here we present recent discoveries in nuclear recycling, namely nucleophagy in physiology in yeast and nucleophagic events that occur in pathological conditions in mammals. The selective nature of degrading nuclear envelope components, DNA, RNA and nucleoli is highlighted. Potential effects of perturbed nucleophagy in senescence and longevity are examined. Moreover, the open questions that remain to be explored are discussed concerning the conditions, receptors and substrates in homeostatic nucleophagy.
Topics: Aging; Animals; Autophagy; Autophagy-Related Proteins; Cell Nucleus; Homeostasis; Humans; Neoplasms; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Progeria; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
PubMed: 30647432
DOI: 10.1038/s41418-018-0266-5 -
Science Advances Feb 2020Vascular dysfunction is a typical characteristic of aging, but its contributing roles to systemic aging and the therapeutic potential are lacking experimental evidence....
Vascular dysfunction is a typical characteristic of aging, but its contributing roles to systemic aging and the therapeutic potential are lacking experimental evidence. Here, we generated a knock-in mouse model with the causative Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) mutation, called progerin. The ;TC mice with progerin expression induced by exhibit defective microvasculature and neovascularization, accelerated aging, and shortened life span. Single-cell transcriptomic analysis of murine lung endothelial cells revealed a substantial up-regulation of inflammatory response. Molecularly, progerin interacts and destabilizes deacylase Sirt7; ectopic expression of alleviates the inflammatory response caused by progerin in endothelial cells. Vascular endothelium-targeted gene therapy, driven by an promoter, improves neovascularization, ameliorates aging features, and extends life span in ;TC mice. These data support endothelial dysfunction as a primary trigger of systemic aging and highlight gene therapy as a potential strategy for the clinical treatment of HGPS and age-related vascular dysfunction.
Topics: Animals; Cellular Senescence; Disease Models, Animal; Endothelial Cells; Endothelium, Vascular; Gene Expression Profiling; Genetic Therapy; Humans; Longevity; Mice; Mice, Knockout; Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; Progeria; Single-Cell Analysis; Sirtuins; Vasodilation
PubMed: 32128409
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aay5556 -
The Application of Clinical Genetics 2021Premature-ageing syndromes are a heterogeneous group of rare genetic disorders resembling features of accelerated ageing and resulting from mutations in genes coding for... (Review)
Review
Premature-ageing syndromes are a heterogeneous group of rare genetic disorders resembling features of accelerated ageing and resulting from mutations in genes coding for proteins required for nuclear lamina architecture, DNA repair and maintenance of genome stability, mitochondrial function and other cellular processes. Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) and Werner syndrome (WS) are two of the best-characterized progeroid syndromes referred to as childhood- and adulthood-progeria, respectively. This article provides an updated overview of the mutations leading to HGPS, WS, and to the spectrum of premature-ageing laminopathies ranging in severity from congenital restrictive dermopathy (RD) to adult-onset atypical WS, including RD-like laminopathies, typical and atypical HGPS, more and less severe forms of mandibuloacral dysplasia (MAD), Néstor-Guillermo progeria syndrome (NGPS), atypical WS, and atypical progeroid syndromes resembling features of HGPS and/or MAD but resulting from impaired DNA repair or mitochondrial functions, including mandibular hypoplasia, deafness, progeroid features, and lipodystrophy (MDPL) syndrome and mandibuloacral dysplasia associated to (MADaM). The overlapping signs and symptoms among different premature-ageing syndromes, resulting from both a large genetic heterogeneity and shared pathological pathways underlying these conditions, require an expert clinical evaluation in specialized centers paralleled by next-generation sequencing of panels of genes involved in these disorders in order to establish as early as possible an accurate clinical and molecular diagnosis for a proper patient management.
PubMed: 34103969
DOI: 10.2147/TACG.S273525 -
Annual Review of Pathology Jan 2022The nuclear envelope is composed of the nuclear membranes, nuclear lamina, and nuclear pore complexes. Laminopathies are diseases caused by mutations in genes encoding... (Review)
Review
The nuclear envelope is composed of the nuclear membranes, nuclear lamina, and nuclear pore complexes. Laminopathies are diseases caused by mutations in genes encoding protein components of the lamina and these other nuclear envelope substructures. Mutations in the single gene encoding lamin A and C, which are expressed in most differentiated somatic cells, cause diseases affecting striated muscle, adipose tissue, peripheral nerve, and multiple systems with features of accelerated aging. Mutations in genes encoding other nuclear envelope proteins also cause an array of diseases that selectively affect different tissues or organs. In some instances, the molecular and cellular consequences of laminopathy-causing mutations are known. However, even when these are understood, mechanisms explaining specific tissue or organ pathology remain enigmatic. Current mechanistic hypotheses focus on how alterations in the nuclear envelope may affect gene expression, including via the regulation of signaling pathways, or cellular mechanics, including responses to mechanical stress.
Topics: Humans; Lamin Type A; Laminopathies; Mutation; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 34672689
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pathol-042220-034240 -
Biomedicines Sep 2022Since ancient times aging has also been regarded as a disease, and humankind has always strived to extend the natural lifespan. Analyzing the genes involved in aging and...
Since ancient times aging has also been regarded as a disease, and humankind has always strived to extend the natural lifespan. Analyzing the genes involved in aging and disease allows for finding important indicators and biological markers for pathologies and possible therapeutic targets. An example of the use of omics technologies is the research regarding aging and the rare and fatal premature aging syndrome progeria (Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, HGPS). In our study, we focused on the in silico analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in progeria and aging, using a publicly available RNA-Seq dataset (GEO dataset GSE113957) and a variety of bioinformatics tools. Despite the GSE113957 RNA-Seq dataset being well-known and frequently analyzed, the RNA-Seq data shared by Fleischer et al. is far from exhausted and reusing and repurposing the data still reveals new insights. By analyzing the literature citing the use of the dataset and subsequently conducting a comparative analysis comparing the RNA-Seq data analyses of different subsets of the dataset (healthy children, nonagenarians and progeria patients), we identified several genes involved in both natural aging and progeria (KRT8, KRT18, ACKR4, CCL2, UCP2, ADAMTS15, ACTN4P1, WNT16, IGFBP2). Further analyzing these genes and the pathways involved indicated their possible roles in aging, suggesting the need for further in vitro and in vivo research. In this paper, we (1) compare "normal aging" (nonagenarians vs. healthy children) and progeria (HGPS patients vs. healthy children), (2) enlist genes possibly involved in both the natural aging process and progeria, including the first mention of IGFBP2 in progeria, (3) predict miRNAs and interactomes for WNT16 (hsa-mir-181a-5p), UCP2 (hsa-mir-26a-5p and hsa-mir-124-3p), and IGFBP2 (hsa-mir-124-3p, hsa-mir-126-3p, and hsa-mir-27b-3p), (4) demonstrate the compatibility of well-established R packages for RNA-Seq analysis for researchers interested but not yet familiar with this kind of analysis, and (5) present comparative proteomics analyses to show an association between our RNA-Seq data analyses and corresponding changes in protein expression.
PubMed: 36289702
DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10102440