Search results for " CFTR"

An overview on chemical structures as ΔF508-CFTR correctors

2019

Deletion of phenylalanine at position 508 (F508del) in the CFTR protein, is the most common mutation causing cystic fibrosis (CF). F508del causes misfolding and rapid degradation of CFTR protein a defect that can be targeted with pharmacological agents termed “correctors”. Correctors belong to various chemical classes but are generally small molecules based on nitrogen sulfur or oxygen heterocycles. The mechanism of action of correctors is generally unknown but there is experimental evidence that some of them can directly act on mutant CFTR improving folding and stability. Here we overview the characteristics of the various F508del correctors described so far to obtain indications on key ch…

COMBINING TRANSLATION READTHROUGH INDUCING DRUGS AND NONSENSE MEDIATED DECAY PATWHAY INHIBITION TO THE CFTR RESCUE IN CYSTIC FIBROSIS CELL MODEL SYST…

2021

Nonsense mutations affect 10% of patients with cystic fibrosis and produce a premature termination codon in CFTR (Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator) mRNA causing early termination of translation and leading to lack of CFTR function. A potential therapy for nonsense mutations provides the use of small molecules able to overcome the premature stop codon (PTC) by a readthrough mechanism that lead to synthesis a complete CFTR protein. Despite the good results obtained from this approach, TRIDs efficiency is considerably reduced by the poor amount of target transcript, that is the mRNA containing the PTC. The readthrough, indeed, does not occur on the totality of target transcr…

Extensive molecular analysis of patients bearing CFTR-related disorders.

2012

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR)–related disorders (CFTR-RDs) may present with pancreatic sufficiency, normal sweat test results, and better outcome. The detection rate of mutations is lower in CFTR-RD than in classic CF: mutations may be located in genes encoding proteins that interact with CFTR or support channel activity. We tested the whole CFTR coding regions in 99 CFTR-RD patients, looking for gene mutations in solute carrier (SLC) 26A and in epithelial Na channel (ENaC) in 33 patients who had unidentified mutations. CFTR analysis revealed 28 mutations, some of which are rare. Of these mutations, RT-PCR demonstrated that the novel 1525-1delG impairs exon 10 s…

Identification of a new molecule with readthrough activity to rescue CFTR protein function

In Cystic fibrosis (CF) disease nonsense mutations in the CFTR gene cause absence of the CFTR protein expression and a more severe form of the disease. About 10% of patient affected by CF show a nonsense mutation. A potential treatment of this alteration is to promote translational readthrough of premature termination codons (PTCs) by translational readthrough inducing drugs such as Ataluren. In this context we aimed to compare the 1,2,4-oxadiazole core of Ataluren with a slightly different scaffold, the 1,3,4oxadiazole core. By a validated protocol consisting of computational screening, synthesis and biological tests we identified, a new small molecule with 1,3,4-oxadiazole core (2a/NV2445…

Identificazionee caratterizzazione di mutazioni in regioni regolatorie del gene malattia della fibrosi cistica

2013

Mutation epidemiology is crucial for cystic fibrosis (CF) diagnosis and counselling. ~6%-7% of alleles from CF patients do not bear mutations in the coding regions of the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Regulator (CFTR) disease gene. In these patients, mutations may be present in non-coding, regulatory regions of the gene as i) intronic regions (particularly in high conserved sequences), ii) the promoter region or iii) the area at the 3’ of the gene, which is the target of microRNA regulation. We studied these regions by gene sequencing in a group of CF patients with one or both unidentified mutations after the analysis of CFTR coding regions, and in a group of CF patients with a different cl…

Identification and validation of novel molecules obtained by integrated computational and experimental approaches for the readthrough of PTCs in CF c…

2014

Cystic Fibrosis patients with nonsense-mutation in h-CFTR gene generally make virtually no CFTR protein and thus often have a more severe form of CF. Ataluren (PTC124) was suggested to induce read-through of premature but not normal termination codons. Despite the promising results there is not a general consensus on the mechanism of its action (protein stabilization or codon read-through) and its efficacy, the identification of new PTC124 analogues and the study of the mechanism of action may led to a new strategy for the development of a pharmacologic approach to the cure of CF.

Investigating CRISPR-CAS13b as a tool for the RNA editing of CFTR mRNA with premature stop codon

2020

Background and Rationale Some CF patients are compound heterozygous or homozygous for nonsense mutations in the CFTR gene. Mutant CFTR gene coding for transcripts with premature termination codons (PTCs) is responsible for truncated CFTR protein and for a severe form of the disease. In a precision medicine framework the “REPAIRv2” (RNA Editing for Programmable A to I Replacement v2) tool, developed in the laboratory of Dr. Feng Zhang (USA), seems a good alternative to restore the full-length CFTR protein by editing its mRNA containing PTCs. This new approach is based on the possibility of targeting a deaminase enzyme (huADAR2) to a specific Adenosine, to be edited to Inosine (G analogue), o…

Uno studio comparativo in silico sui possibili target di Ataluren e analoghi farmaci promotori di readthrough di codoni di stop prematuri

2019

E’ noto in letteratura che Ataluren (acido 5-(fluorofenil)-1,2,4-ossadiazolil-benzoico) sia in grado di sopprimere le mutazioni non senso favorendo il readthrough dei codoni di stop prematuri, anche se il suo meccanismo di azione non risulta ancora chiaro. La probabile interazione tra Ataluren e CTFR-mRNA è stata precedentemente studiata mediante dinamica molecolare. In questo studio1, abbiamo esteso il modeling del probabile meccanismo di azione di Ataluren mediante approcci computazionali completementari, quali Induced Fit Docking (IFD), Quantum Polarized Ligand Docking (QPLD), metodi MM-GBSA e mutagenesi computazionale. Oltre a considerare il CTFR-mRNA, sono stati presi in considerazione…