Search results for "yo"

2016

Background Contractile myofibroblasts (MFs) accumulate in the joint capsules of patients suffering from posttraumatic joint stiffness. MF activation is controlled by a complex local network of growth factors and cytokines, ending in the increased production of extracellular matrix components followed by soft tissue contracture. Despite the tremendous growth of knowledge in this field, inconsistencies remain in practice and prevention.

RNA-mediated therapies in myotonic dystrophy

2018

Myotonic dystrophy 1 (DM1) is a multisystemic neuromuscular disease caused by a dominantly inherited 'CTG' repeat expansion in the gene encoding DM Protein Kinase (DMPK). The repeats are transcribed into mRNA, which forms hairpins and binds with high affinity to the Muscleblind-like (MBNL) family of proteins, sequestering them from their normal function. The loss of function of MBNL proteins causes numerous downstream effects, primarily the appearance of nuclear foci, mis-splicing, and ultimately myotonia and other clinical symptoms. Antisense and other RNA-mediated technologies have been applied to target toxic-repeat mRNA transcripts to restore MBNL protein function in DM1 models, such as…

Myotonic dystrophy: candidate small molecule therapeutics

2017

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a rare multisystemic neuromuscular disorder caused by expansion of CTG trinucleotide repeats in the noncoding region of the DMPK gene. Mutant DMPK transcripts are toxic and alter gene expression at several levels. Chiefly, the secondary structure formed by CUGs has a strong propensity to capture and retain proteins, like those of the muscleblind-like (MBNL) family. Sequestered MBNL proteins cannot then fulfill their normal functions. Many therapeutic approaches have been explored to reverse these pathological consequences. Here, we review the myriad of small molecules that have been proposed for DM1, including examples obtained from computational rational …

Derepressing muscleblind expression by miRNA sponges ameliorates myotonic dystrophy-like phenotypes in Drosophila

2016

AbstractMyotonic Dystrophy type 1 (DM1) originates from alleles of the DMPK gene with hundreds of extra CTG repeats in the 3′ untranslated region (3′ UTR). CUG repeat RNAs accumulate in foci that sequester Muscleblind-like (MBNL) proteins away from their functional target transcripts. Endogenous upregulation of MBNL proteins is, thus, a potential therapeutic approach to DM1. Here we identify two miRNAs, dme-miR-277 and dme-miR-304, that differentially regulate muscleblind RNA isoforms in miRNA sensor constructs. We also show that their sequestration by sponge constructs derepresses endogenous muscleblind not only in a wild type background but also in a DM1 Drosophila model expressing non-co…

Expanded CCUG repeat RNA expression in Drosophila heart and muscle trigger Myotonic Dystrophy type 1-like phenotypes and activate autophagocytosis ge…

2016

AbstractMyotonic dystrophies (DM1–2) are neuromuscular genetic disorders caused by the pathological expansion of untranslated microsatellites. DM1 and DM2, are caused by expanded CTG repeats in the 3′UTR of the DMPK gene and CCTG repeats in the first intron of the CNBP gene, respectively. Mutant RNAs containing expanded repeats are retained in the cell nucleus, where they sequester nuclear factors and cause alterations in RNA metabolism. However, for unknown reasons, DM1 is more severe than DM2. To study the differences and similarities in the pathogenesis of DM1 and DM2, we generated model flies by expressing pure expanded CUG ([250]×) or CCUG ([1100]×) repeats, respectively, and compared …

Influence of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-4 on human joint capsule myofibroblasts

2016

Post-traumatic joint contracture was reported to be associated with elevated numbers of contractile myofibroblasts (MFs) in the healing capsule. During the physiological healing process, the number of MFs declines; however, in fibroconnective disorders, MFs persist. The manifold interaction of the cytokines regulating the appearance and persistence of MFs in the pathogenesis of joint contracture remains to be elucidated. The objective of our current study was to analyze the impact of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-4 on functional behavior of MFs. Cells were isolated from human joint capsule specimens and challenged with three different concentrations of IL-4 with or without…

miR-7 Restores Phenotypes in Myotonic Dystrophy Muscle Cells by Repressing Hyperactivated Autophagy

2019

International audience; Unstable CTG expansions in the 3' UTR of the DMPK gene are responsible for myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) condition. Muscle dysfunction is one of the main contributors to DM1 mortality and morbidity. Pathways by which mutant DMPK trigger muscle defects, however, are not fully understood. We previously reported that miR-7 was downregulated in a DM1 Drosophila model and in biopsies from patients. Here, using DM1 and normal muscle cells, we investigated whether miR-7 contributes to the muscle phenotype by studying the consequences of replenishing or blocking miR-7, respectively. Restoration of miR-7 with agomiR-7 was sufficient to rescue DM1 myoblast fusion defects and…

Does δ-sarcoglycan-associated autosomal-dominant cardiomyopathy exist?

2009

In this study we clinically and genetically characterize a consanguineous family with a homozygous novel missense mutation in the delta-sarcoglycan gene and a second delta-sarcoglycan mutation that has previously been reported to cause severe autosomal-dominant dilated cardiomyopathy. We identified a novel missense mutation in exon 6 (p.A131P) of the delta-sarcoglycan gene, which in a homozygous state leads to the clinical picture of a limb girdle muscular dystrophy. In four heterozygous carriers for the mutation, aged 3-64 years, a second sequence variant in exon 6 (p.S151A) of the delta-sarcoglycan gene was detected on the other allele. This second missense change had previously been repo…

Adalimumab in active ulcerative colitis: A “real-life” observational study

2013

Abstract Background and aims The effectiveness of adalimumab in the treatment of ulcerative colitis is under debate. Although controlled trials have shown that adalimumab is significantly better than placebo, the absolute clinical benefit is modest. We report data on the effectiveness of adalimumab in a cohort of ulcerative colitis patients treated in 22 Italian centres. Methods All patients with active disease treated with adalimumab were retrospectively reviewed. Co-primary endpoints were clinical remission at weeks 4, 12, 24 and 54. Secondary endpoints were sustained clinical remission, steroid discontinuation, endoscopic remission and need for colectomy. Results Eighty-eight patients we…

An Optoelectronic System for Measuring the Range of Motion in Healthy Volunteers: A Cross-Sectional Study.

2019

Background and Objectives: Within the clinical evaluation of multiple pathologies of the lower limb, the measurement of range of motion (ROM) of its joints is fundamental. To this end, there are various tools, from the goniometer as a reference to more recent devices such as inclinometry-based applications, photo capture applications, or motion capture systems. This study aimed to assess the validity, intra-rater, and inter-rater reliability of the VeloFlex system (VS), which is a new camera-based tool designed for tracking joint trajectories and measuring joint ROM. Materials and Methods: Thirty-five healthy volunteers (16 females