Search

We report a 28-year-old G2P0 at 24 weeks 5 days who presented for evaluation secondary to suspected skeletal dysplasia in her fetus. Fetal ultrasound imaging demonstrated foreshortened long bones by 9-10 weeks, multiple bowing deformities and fractures, 11 foreshortened paired ribs with fractures, decreased skull mineralization, frontal bossing, enlarged cavum septum pellucidi, and severe fetal growth restriction (< 2%). Findings were concerning for life limiting condition with thoracic circumference < 2.5%, femur length/abdominal circumference ratio of 0.13, and the thoracic circumference/abdominal circumference ratio of 0.77 and a palliative care path was pursued. Exome sequencing through chorionic villus sampling revealed two variants SEC24D, a maternally inherited likely pathogenic variant at c.3031&#95;3040delinsC, and a variant of uncertain significance (VUS) at c.2676 + 5del. These variants, along with the clinical overlap in the fetus were likely causative of a diagnosis of Cole-carpenter syndrome type 2 (CLCRP2). Most publications of CLCRP2 report a fairly favorable prognosis. Concern for life limiting prenatal presentation has not been reported. We report a case of CLCRP2 that phenocopies perinatally lethal type OI and that resulted in early neonatal demise from respiratory compromise., (© 2025 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objective: To report a rare 17q12 microduplication family., Case Report: A 29-year-old woman (gravida 1, para 0) underwent amniocentesis at 21 weeks' gestation because of double bubble sign and polyhydramnios of the fetus on prenatal ultrasound. Chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) from this family revealed a 1.78-Mb microduplication on chromosome 17q12 of the fetal, spanning from position 34,460,444 to 36,243,365 (GRCh37). Trio whole-exome sequencing (WES) showed 17q12 microduplication in the fetal and the mother. After genetic counselling and being informed of the unfavourable prognosis, the parents decided to continue the pregnancy., Conclusion: We provide a detailed description of the phenotype in a rare family with 17q12 microduplication. Combination of karyotype analysis, CMA, WES, prenatal ultrasound and genetic counseling is helpful for the prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal microdeletions/microduplications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

There are hundreds of rare syndromic diseases involving hearing loss, many of which are not targeted for clinical genetic testing. We systematically explored the genetic causes of undiagnosed syndromic hearing loss using a combination of whole exome sequencing (WES) and a phenotype similarity search system called PubCaseFinder. Fifty-five families with syndromic hearing loss of unknown cause were analyzed using WES after prescreening of several deafness genes depending on patient clinical features. Causative genes were identified in 22 families, including both established genes associated with syndromic hearing loss (PTPN11, CHD7, KARS1, OPA1, DLX5, MITF, SOX10, MYO7A, and USH2A) and those associated with nonsyndromic hearing loss (STRC, EYA4, and KCNQ4). Association of a DLX5 variant with incomplete partition type I (IP-I) anomaly of the inner ear was identified in a patient with cleft lip and palate and acetabular dysplasia. The study identified COL1A1, CFAP52, and NSD1 as causative genes through phenotype similarity search or by analogy. ZBTB10 was proposed as a novel candidate gene for syndromic hearing loss with IP-I. A mouse model with homozygous Zbtb10 frameshift variant resulted in embryonic lethality, suggesting the importance of this gene for early embryonic development. Our data highlight a wide spectrum of rare causative genes in patients with syndromic hearing loss, and demonstrate that WES analysis combined with phenotype similarity search is a valuable approach for clinical genetic testing of undiagnosed disease., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethics approval: This study was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. This study was approved by the institutional ethics review board at the National Hospital Organization Tokyo Medical Center (R21-053), RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (Yokohama H24-15(3)), and the Tokyo Medical and Dental University (O2015-503). All the experimental procedures for generation and use of Zbtb10-deficient mice were approved by National Hospital Organization Tokyo Medical Center (14-animal-05). Consent to participate: Studies were conducted only after patients or their parents signed informed consent forms to participate. Consent to publish: The participant has consented to the submission of the case report to the journal., (© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Abstract: The sudden death of a previously healthy infant is a devastating event for a family-the death of 2 even more unimaginable. Prior to the debunking of Meadow's law, a legal concept attributing multiple unexplained infant deaths to Munchausen by proxy, these events could lead to the wrongful prosecution of those who had lost their children to "sudden unexpected infant death (SUID)." Today, these cases, wherein multiple infants within one family pass inexplicably, raise suspicion for a possible genetic cause and point toward a need for postmortem genetic testing.We present the case of 2 siblings who passed suddenly in infancy, with no structural cause of death identified at autopsy. Genetic testing in both infants found the same variant of uncertain significance, a heterozygous single nucleotide substitution, denoted c.3191C>T, in SCN10A, which encodes a sodium channel with pathogenic variants possibly implicated in sudden cardiac death syndromes. Although it is unclear at this time if the variant of uncertain significance identified was a contributing factor in the deaths, the case emphasized the importance of involving a multidisciplinary team to ensure appropriate pretest and posttest counseling, interpretation of nuanced testing results, and medical follow-up for surviving family members of SUID., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest and sources of funding: none declared., (Copyright © 2025 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Achieving safe and efficient gene therapy hinges upon the inspection of genomes enclosed within individual nano-carriers to mitigate potential health risks associated with empty or fragment-filled vectors. Here solid-state nanopore sensing is reported for identifications of intermediate adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors in liquid. The method exploits the phenomenon of translocation slowdown induced by the viscosity of salt water-organic mixtures. This enables real-time ionic current measurements allowing precise tracking of the electroosmotic flow-driven motions of recombinant AAV vectors in a nanopore. The resulting ionic signals facilitate discrimination between replicative intermediates carrying ssDNA fragments and its full vector counterparts based on genome length-derived subtle nanometer differences in the viral diameters. This rapid and non-destructive means of genome analysis within virus capsids provides a promising avenue toward a robust methodology for ensuring the integrity of AAV vectors before administration., (© 2025 The Author(s). Small Methods published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

E3 ubiquitin ligases have been linked to developmental diseases including autism, Angelman syndrome (UBE3A), and Johanson-Blizzard syndrome (JBS) (UBR1). Here, we report variants in the E3 ligase UBR5 in 29 individuals presenting with a neurodevelopmental syndrome that includes developmental delay, autism, intellectual disability, epilepsy, movement disorders, and/or genital anomalies. Their phenotype is distinct from JBS due to the absence of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and the presence of autism, epilepsy, and, in some probands, a movement disorder. E3 ubiquitin ligases are responsible for transferring ubiquitin to substrate proteins to regulate a variety of cellular functions, including protein degradation, protein-protein interactions, and protein localization. Knocking out ubr-5 in C. elegans resulted in a lower movement score compared to the wild type, supporting a role for UBR5 in neurodevelopment. Using an in vitro autoubiquitination assay and confocal microscopy for the human protein, we found decreased ubiquitination activity and altered cellular localization in several variants found in our cohort compared to the wild type. In conclusion, we found that variants in UBR5 cause a neurodevelopmental syndrome that can be associated with a movement disorder, reinforcing the role of the UBR protein family in a neurodevelopmental disease that differs from previously described ubiquitin-ligase-related syndromes. We also provide evidence for the pathogenic potential loss of UBR5 function with functional experiments in C. elegans and in vitro ubiquitination assays., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 American Society of Human Genetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors have no conflicts of interest relevant to this article.

Regeneration after tissue injury is a dynamic and complex process, and angiogenesis is necessary for normal physiological activities and tissue repair. Induced pluripotent stem cells are a new approach in regenerative medicine, which provides good model for the study of difficult-to-obtain human tissues, patient-specific therapy, and tissue repair. As an innovative cell-free therapeutic strategy, the main advantages of the treatment of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)-derived exosomes are low in tumorigenicity and immunogenicity, which become an important pathway for tissue injury. This review focuses on the mechanism of the angiogenic effect of iPSCs-derived exosomes on wound repair in tissue injury and their potential therapeutic targets, with a view to providing a theoretical basis for the use of iPSCs-derived exosomes in clinical therapy., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Study Question: Is it possible to predict an euploid chromosomal constitution and identify a transcriptomic profile compatible with extended embryonic development from RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) data?, Summary Answer: It has been possible to obtain a karyotype comparable to preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A), in addition to a transcriptomic signature of embryos which might be suggestive of improved implantation capacity., What Is Known Already: Conventional assessment of embryo competence, based on morphology and morphokinetic, lacks knowledge of molecular aspects and faces controversy in predicting ploidy status. Understanding the embryonic transcriptome is crucial, as gene expression influences development and implantation. PGT has improved pregnancy rates, but problems persist when high-quality euploid embryos do not reach term. In fact, only around 50-60% implant, of which 10% result in miscarriage. Comprehensive approaches, including RNA-Seq, offer the potential to discover molecular markers of reproductive competence, and could theoretically be combined with extended-embryo culture platforms up to Day 14 that can be utilized as a proxy to study embryo development at post-implantation stages., Study Design, Size, Duration: This prospective pilot cohort study was conducted from March 2023 to August 2023. A total of 30 vitrified human blastocysts with previous PGT-A diagnosis on Day 5 (D5) or Day 6 (D6) of development were analysed: n = 15 euploid and n = 15 aneuploid. Finally, 21 embryo samples were included in the study; the rest (n = 9) were excluded due to poor quality pre-sequencing data (n = 7) or highly discordant data (n = 2)., Participants/materials, Setting, Methods: Following warming and re-expansion, embryos underwent a second trophectoderm (TE) biopsy. The embryos were then cultured until day 11 to assess their development. Biopsy analysis by RNA-Seq, studied the differential expressed genes (DEG) to compare embryos which did not or did attach to the plate: unattached embryos (n = 12) versus attached embryos (n = 9). Thus, we also obtained a specific transcriptomic signature of embryos with a "theoretical" capacity for sustained implantation, based on plate attachment on day 11., Main Results and the Role of Chance: The digital karyotype obtained by RNA-Seq showed good concordance with the earlier PGT-A data, with a sensitivity of 0.81, a specificity of 0.83, a Cohen's Kappa of 0.66, and an area under the ROC of 0.9. At the gene level, 76 statistically significant DEGs were found in the comparison unattached versus attached embryos (Padj < 0.05; FC > 1). To address the functional implications of these differences, significantly deregulated pathways according to GO and KEGG categories were identified. The mural trophectoderm (TE) of the unattached blastocysts showed 63 significantly deregulated terms, displaying upregulation in autophagy, apoptosis, protein kinase and ubiquitin-like protein ligase activity, and downregulation of ribosome, spliceosome, kinetochore, segregation, and chromosome condensation processes. The overall transcriptomic signature specific to embryos still attached to the plate on day 11 (with a theoretically higher implantation capacity) consists of 501 genes, including: EMP2, AURKB, FOLR1, NOTCH3, LRP2, FZD5, MDH1, APOD, GPX8, COLEC12, HSPA1A, CMTM7, BEX3, which are related to implantation and embryonic development (raw P-value < 0.05; shrunk LFC > 1.1). These findings indicate that it might be possible to identify euploid embryos with a greater capacity for implantation and development, after excluding those embryos that present chromosomal alterations., Limitations, Reasons for Caution: This study included a small sample size, remarkable variability between samples, and low success rate of RNA amplification. Also, structural chromosomal abnormalities were not included, and it was not possible to diagnose mosaic embryos. TE biopsy does not assure the chromosomal status of the whole embryo. The maximum day for in vitro development was Day 11, and attachment to the plate on this day does not provide a clear indication of implantation capacity and viability, which was not tested in this study., Wider Implications of the Findings: The short-term goals following on from this pilot study is to expand the sample size with embryos of more complex abnormalities, and to perform a prospective in vitro preclinical validation. In a more distant future and with optimal results, this technique could have clinical application, thus increasing clinical outcomes by assessing both chromosomal content and transcriptomic profiling., Study Funding/competing Interest(s): The Institut Valencià de Competitivitat Empresarial (IVACE) (IMIDCA/2022/39) and Generalitat Valenciana (CIACIF/2021/11) supported the present study. A.C. is an employee of JUNO Genetics. He has received honoraria for an IBSA lecture and a Merck lecture. He is also a minor shareholder of IVIRMA Global. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., Trial Registration Number: N/A., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background and Objectives: Myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2) is a multisystemic repeat disorder caused by the expansion of an unstable CCTG tetranucleotide repeat in the noncoding region of the CNBP gene. Standard diagnostic is based on Southern blot analysis or a unidirectional RP-PCR that amplifies the repeat from the downstream end., Methods: Our study reevaluated 80 patients (cohort 1) with clinical suspicion of DM2 but homozygous negative results using the standard diagnostic repeat-primed PCR (RP-PCR). Reanalysis was performed using a second RP-PCR that amplifies the repeat from the opposite direction. Individual samples were further analyzed by Oxford Nanopore Technology long-read sequencing, Sanger sequencing, and another RP-PCR. In addition, repeat expansions were further characterized in 168 patients with confirmed DM2 (cohort 2)., Results: We identified 5 of the 80 patients (cohort 1) with expanded repeats in CNBP and, as such, reclassified them as positive for DM2. The initial false-negative results were attributed to variants within the primer binding site of the standard RP-PCR in one patient and an additional novel (TCTG) n repeat downstream to the known (CCTG) n repeat in 4 other patients. By analyzing a cohort of 168 patients with confirmed DM2 (cohort 2), we found that the additional (TCTG) n repeat is present in at least 84% of patients., Discussion: Our study revealed the presence of an additional repeat (TCTG) n in most of the patients living with DM2. Large expansions of this repeat likely hinder sufficient amplification of the disease causing (CCTG) n repeat. Because the (TCTG) n repeat is likely mosaic in length, (CCTG) n repeat expansions are correctly detected in most patients. However, a few patients are at risk of a false-negative result using the standard RP-PCR, which had a false-negative rate of 0.7% (5/674) and a sensitivity of 97.3% in the cohort studied. Based on our findings, we propose (TG) v (TCTG) w (CCTG) n (TCTG') m as the updated model for the structure of CNBP repeat expansions and recommend adapting the diagnostic guidelines accordingly. The effect of the (TCTG) n repeat on the phenotype remains to be determined but could be key for establishing a phenotype-genotype correlation for DM2 that remained elusive so far., Competing Interests: The authors report no relevant disclosures. Go to Neurology.org/NG for full disclosures., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American Academy of Neurology.)

Thalassemia is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder and a common form of Hemoglobinopathy. It is classified into α-thalassemia and β-thalassemia. This disease is mainly prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions, including southern China. Severe α-thalassemia and intermediate α-thalassemia are among the most common birth defects in southern China. Intermediate α-thalassemia, also known as Hb H disease, is characterized by moderate anemia. Severe α-thalassemia, also known as Hb Bart's Hydrops fetalis syndrome, is a fatal condition. Infants with severe β-thalassemia do not show symptoms at birth but develop severe anemia later, requiring expensive treatment. Most untreated patients with severe β-thalassemia die in early childhood. Screening for thalassemia carriers and genetic diagnosis in high-prevalence areas significantly reduce the incidence of severe thalassemia. This review aims to summarize the genetic diagnostic approaches for thalassemia. Conventional genetic testing methods can identify 95-98% of thalassemia carriers but may miss rare thalassemia genotypes. Third-Generation Sequencing offers significant advantages in complementing other genetic diagnostic approaches, providing a basis for genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is common in the aged population and associated with poor clinical outcomes. Irisin, an endogenous molecule that mediates the beneficial effects of exercise, has shown neuroprotective potential in several models of neurological diseases. Here we show that preoperative serum level of irisin is reduced in dementia patients over the age of 70. Comprehensive proteomics analysis reveals that deletion of irisin affects the nervous and immune systems, and reduces the expression of complement proteins. Systemically administered irisin penetrates the blood-brain barrier in mice, targets the microglial integrin αVβ5 receptor, activates signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6), induces microglia reprogramming to the M2 phenotype, and improves immune microenvironment in LPS-induced neuroinflammatory mice. Finally, prophylactic administration of irisin prevents POCD-like behavior, particularly early cognitive dysfunction. Our findings provide new insights into the direct regulation of the immune microenvironment by irisin, and reveal that recombinant irisin holds great promise as a novel therapy for preventing POCD and other neuroinflammatory disorders. SUMMARY: Our findings reveal molecular and cellular mechanisms of irisin on neuroinflammation, and show that prophylactic administration of irisin prevents POCD-like behavior, particularly early cognitive dysfunction., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Exposure to specific alkali and alkaline earth elements(AEs/AEEs) has been reported that are linked to an increased risk of spontaneous abortion. However, the direct evidence of exposure in the uterus are absent. Therefore, we collected chorionic villi after spontaneous abortion or induced abortion in Peking University Third Hospital. The concentrations of six alkali and alkaline earth elements in chorionic villi were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Through using logistic regression, Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) and Weighted quantile sum regression (WQS) model, we assessed single and mixed exposure effects of alkali and alkaline earth elements on spontaneous abortion. In terms of the individual effect, high concentration group of barium (Ba) increased the risk of spontaneous abortion by 150 % (95 % CI: 1.38-4.51), whereas rubidium (Rb), cesium (Cs) and Magnesium (Mg) all clearly demonstrated dose dependency in reducing the incidence of spontaneous abortion. The BKMR model demonstrated that as the mixed exposure percentile increased, the likelihood of spontaneous abortion decreased almost linearly. For every quartile increasing in the WQS index, the risk of spontaneous abortion decreased (OR: 0.21, 95 % CI: 0.13-0.33), with Mg and Rb having the highest weights at 0.587 and 0.367, respectively. According to our findings, there were negative dose-response relationships between Mg and Rb levels and risk for spontaneous abortion, but exposure to higher concentration of Ba in the chorionic villi was positively associated with the risk of it., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the clinical and genetic characteristics of nonsyndromic sensorineural hearing loss caused by STRC biallelic variation. Methods: A child with hearing impairment who was diagnosed at Gansu Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital on May 2022 and was selected as the research object. Peripheral blood of the child and her parents was collected, genomic DNA was extracted. IDT The xGen Exome Research Panel v2.0 whole exome capture chip was used to capture and sequence. Bioinformatics and clinical information analysis technology were used to analyze genetic data. The suspected pathogenic mutations were verified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction(QPCR)and Sanger sequencing. Results: The child had moderate hearing loss at about 1 year and 10 months, and now she is 3 years and 6 months, the hearing loss has not worsened. Whole exome sequencing(WES) testing revealed that the child carried the STRC gene with a deletion in EXON:1-29 and variants c.4561(exon24) &#95;c.4562(exon24)insC, inherited from the mother and father, respectively. According to the relevant guidelines of the American Society for Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), they were determined to be likely pathogenic variant and pathogenic variant. Conclusion: The discovery of c.4561(exon24) &#95;c.4562(exon24)insC enriched the STRC variation spectrum, and provided a theoretical basis for the diagnosis and genetic counseling to the children.

Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) is a rare, dominantly inherited multisystem developmental disorder. Pathogenic variants in genes encoding the structural subunits and regulatory proteins of the cohesin complex ( NIPBL , SMC1A , SMC3 , HDAC8 , and RAD21 ) are the primary contributors to the pathogenesis of CdLS. Pathogenic variations in these genes disrupt normal cohesin function, leading to the syndrome's diverse and complex clinical presentation. In this study, we discovered that cells harboring variants in the NIPBL , SMC1A and HDAC8 genes exhibit spontaneous genome instability, elevated oxidative stress and premature cellular aging. These findings suggest that cohesin plays a critical role in maintaining proper cellular function and highlight its contribution to the pathophysiology seen in the related diagnoses.

Background: The MEK inhibitor, selumetinib, reduces plexiform neurofibroma (PN) in pediatric patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Its safety and efficacy in adults with PN and effectiveness in other NF1 manifestations (eg, neurocognitive function, growth reduction, and café-au-lait spots) are unknown., Methods: This open-label, phase II trial enrolled 90 pediatric or adult NF1 patients with inoperable, symptomatic, or potentially morbid, measurable PN (≥3 cm). Selumetinib was administered at doses of 20 or 25 mg/m2 or 50 mg q 12 hours for 2 years. Pharmacokinetics, PN volume, growth parameters, neurocognitive function, café-au-lait spots, and quality of life (QoL) were evaluated., Results: Fifty-nine children and 30 adults (median age, 16 years; range, 3-47) received an average of 22 ± 5 (4-26) cycles of selumetinib. Eighty-eight (98.9%) out of 89 per-protocol patients showed volume reduction in the target PN (median, 40.8%; 4.2%-92.2%), and 81 (91%) patients showed partial response (≥20% volume reduction). The response lasted until cycle 26. Scores of neurocognitive functions (verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, processing speed, and full-scale IQ) significantly improved in both pediatric and adult patients (P < .05). Prepubertal patients showed increases in height score and growth velocity (P < .05). Café-au-lait spot intensity decreased significantly (P < .05). Improvements in QoL and pain scores were observed in both children and adults. All adverse events were CTCAE grade 1 or 2 and were successfully managed without drug discontinuation., Conclusions: Selumetinib decreases PN volume in the majority of pediatric and adult NF1 patients while also showing efficacy in nonmalignant diverse NF1 manifestations., Trial Registration: Cris.nih.go.kr Identifier (KCT0003700)., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology.)

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the natural history of the photoreceptor disease in a large group of pediatric patients with RHD12-associated Leber congenital amaurosis (RDH12-LCA), to estimate the changes expected over the duration of a clinical trial, and to define the relationship between the photoreceptor loss and visual dysfunction., Methods: Forty-six patients representing 36 families were included. The great majority of patients were under the age of 18 years. Patients underwent complete ophthalmic examinations and imaging with various modalities including adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy. Visual function was assessed with static and kinetic perimetry, and full-field stimulus test (FST) under dark- and light-adapted conditions., Results: Patients had a severe and early onset retinal degeneration (EORD). Visual acuity losses showed a progression rate of 0.04 logMAR per year. A small foveal island could be retained but showed degeneration over time. Foveal cone sensitivity losses were predictable by the loss of photoreceptors. Peripapillary retina could be retained with no significant progression detectable. Peripapillary rod sensitivity was substantially less than expected from photoreceptor structure pointing to a large improvement potential. FST sensitivities were reliably recordable in pediatric patients and showed a small but significant improvement with age. Locally and globally, loss of rod sensitivity tended to be larger than loss of cone sensitivity., Conclusions: Foveal cones of RDH12-LCA should be targeted with treatments aimed to slow progression, whereas peripapillary rod photoreceptors should be targeted with treatments aimed to improve night vision. Pediatric FST testing may be complicated by age-related maturation of decision making regarding threshold criteria.

Copy number variations in the SMN1 gene on chromosome 5 are the primary cause of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) disease, characterized by muscle weakness and degeneration due to impaired alpha motor neurons in the spinal cord. To obtain a comprehensive molecular understanding of the SMA, including carriers, silent carriers, and patients in the Iranian population, we analyzed data from 5224 individuals referred to Kariminejad - Najmabadi Pathology & Genetics Center, Tehran, Iran, between 2006 and 2023 using MLPA and quantitative RT-PCR methods. The carrier frequency of SMA was estimated to be 5.55%. Furthermore, 3.06% of SMA parents (n = 24) had two copies of the SMN1 gene. Among 725 patients, those with an earlier onset of SMA were more likely to have two copies of the SMN2 gene (46.45%) and no copies of the NAIP gene (49.36%). Among the 654 fetal samples screened for SMA, 22.33% were found to be affected, while 3.46% of their parents tested normal. These findings are valuable for genetic counseling, carrier screening, and prenatal diagnosis of SMA in Iran. Furthermore, they underscore the importance of CNV analysis of SMN1, SMN2, and NAIP genes for accurate diagnosis and prognosis of SMA., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethical statements: This study has been confirmed by the ethical committee of the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences in Iran (Ethics code: IR.USWR.REC.1401.247). Prior to conducting any testing, it was imperative to obtain informed consent from all individuals and/or their legal guardian(s)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.

Retinal markers with high quality and specificity are important for the observation of pathologic changes of retinal cells during retinal development, degeneration, and regeneration. The zpr-3 antibody is widely used to label rods in zebrafish, but the exact antigen is still unknown. In this study, we provided evidence to demonstrate that the antigen gene of zpr-3 is rho, which encodes the rod opsin, and the exact epitope of zpr-3 is the 320-354 region of Rho protein. More importantly, our immunofluorescence assays indicated that zpr-3 labels both the outer segments of rods and green cones on zebrafish retinal sections, probably due to the cross-reaction with the green-cone opsin. Our work is valuable for the scientific community to interpret the experimental data involving the zpr-3 antibody.

Background: Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) are among the most common causes of kidney diseases in children. Previous studies on CAKUT etiologies have been predominantly focused on non-modifiable genetic risk factors. The existing nongenetic studies are limited by lack of comprehensive investigation of potentially modifiable risk factors and the inability to distinguish among various phenotypes of CAKUT. Therefore, this study aimed to comprehensively evaluate both maternal and fetal risk factors of CAKUT, sorted by disease phenotype., Methods: A prospective birth cohort study was conducted among 10,179 women who delivered a singleton live newborn in Lanzhou, China, between 2010 and 2012. Face-to-face interviews were conducted among the participants within 1-3 days after delivery using standard questionnaires to collect information on maternal demographics and characteristics. All newborns underwent postnatal renal ultrasonographic screening during their routine 1-month checkup. Clinical data, including birth outcomes and maternal complications, were confirmed by reviewing their medical records. Maternal and fetal risk factors were compared in children with and without CAKUT. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors of CAKUT and their phenotypes, respectively., Results: A total of 489 (4.8%) cases of CAKUT were identified. Logistic regression revealed that maternal overweight (pre-pregnancy), gestational diabetes, preterm birth, and low birth weight were independent risk factors for CAKUT. Maternal overweight increased the risk of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR, odds ratio (OR) = 1.441, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.010-2.057) and posterior urethral valves (PUV, OR = 1.868, 95% CI 1.074-3.249). Gestational diabetes increased the risk of ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO, OR = 1.269; 95% CI 1.044-1.543) and posterior urethral valves (OR = 1.794; 95% CI 1.302-2.474). Preterm birth increased the risk of ureteropelvic junction obstruction (OR = 1.056; 95% CI 1.004-1.111)., Conclusions: Our study identified various risk factors associated with different CAKUT phenotypes, stressing the importance of separate analyses for each phenotype. Our findings may provide helpful guidance on developing targeted and effective CAKUT prevention programs in the future., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors have nothing to declare. Ethical approval: The present study was conducted according to the guidelines laid down in the Declaration of Helsinki, and all study procedures were approved by the Gansu Provincial Maternity and Child Care Hospital (GSMCH) Institutional Review Board(No. GSFYIRB-2010-09). Human and animal rights: Not applicable. Informed consent to participate: Written informed consent was obtained from all of the adult participants with a good level of education. Written informed consent of the subjects with no formal education or less education was obtained from their legal guardians., (© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Italian Society of Nephrology.)

Constitutively active NOTCH2 signaling is a hallmark in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The precise underlying defect remains obscure. Here we show that the mRNA sequence coding for the NOTCH2 negative regulatory region (NRR) is consistently deleted in CLL cells. The most common NOTCH2ΔNRR-DEL2 deletion is associated with two intronic single nucleotide variations (SNVs) which either create (CTT A T, G>A for rs2453058) or destroy (CTC G T, A>G for rs5025718) a putative splicing branch point sequence (BPS). Phylogenetic analysis demonstrates that rs2453058 is part of an ancient NOTCH2 gene variant ( *1A01 ) which is associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and is two times more frequent in Europeans than in East Asians, resembling the differences in CLL incidence. In contrast, rs5025718 belongs to a recent NOTCH2 variant ( *1a4 ) that dominates the world outside Africa. Nanopore sequencing indicates that somatic reciprocal crossing over between rs2453058 ( *1A01 ) and rs5025718 ( *1a4 ) leads to recombined NOTCH2 alleles with altered BPS patterns in NOTCH2*1A01/*1a4 CLL cases. This would explain the loss of the NRR domain by aberrant pre-mRNA splicing and consequently the NOTCH2 gain-of-function phenotype. Together, our findings suggest that somatic recombination of inherited NOTCH2 variants might be relevant to CLL etiology and may at least partly explain its geographical clustering.

Background Aims: Methotrexate (MTX) is used as standard graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. However, the optimal dosing regimen among the various MTX regimens available remains unclear., Methods: We used the registration data of Kyoto Stem Cell Transplantation Group to compare six MTX dosing protocols in a multicenter retrospective analysis of 816 cases of unrelated bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation., Results: Our findings indicated increased risks of grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ acute GVHD and extensive chronic GVHD in the cohort given the shortened mini-dose MTX regimen (5 mg/m 2 infusions on days 1, 3, and 6) compared with patients that received any of the other protocols. In addition, transplantation outcomes did not differ significantly between cohorts according to the inclusion or absence of leucovorin rescue., Conclusion: The original short-term, reduced short-term, and mini-dose MTX methods were all effective for GVHD prophylaxis. However, omission of the day 11 MTX dose from the mini-dose regimen elevated the risks of grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ acute GVHD and extensive chronic GVHD. Moreover, leucovorin rescue might be ineffective in terms of reducing complications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interests The authors declare no competing financial interests., (Copyright © 2024 International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury, a major contributor to poor prognosis in patients with acute myocardial infarction, currently lacks effective therapeutic strategies in clinical practice. The long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) Oip5-as1 can regulate various cellular processes, such as cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival. Oip5-as1 may have potential as a therapeutic target for MI/R injury as its upregulated expression has been associated with reduced infarct size and improved cardiac function in animal models, although how to effectively and safely overexpress Oip5-as1 in vivo remains unclear. Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are a versatile technology for targeted drug delivery in numerous therapeutic applications. Herein, we aimed to assess the therapeutic efficacy and safety of LNPs coloaded with Oip5-as1 and a cardiomyocyte-specific binding peptide (LNP@Oip5-as1@CMP) in a murine model of MI/R injury. To achieve this, LNP@Oip5-as1@CMP was synthesized via ethanol injection method. The structural components of LNP@Oip5-as1@CMP were physicochemically analyzed. A hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) model in HL-1 cells and coronary artery ligation in mice were used to simulate MI/R injury. Our results demonstrated that LNPs designed for cardiomyocyte targeting and efficient Oip5-as1 delivery were successfully synthesized. In HL-1 cells, LNP@Oip5-as1@CMP treatment significantly reduced mitochondrial apoptosis caused by H/R injury. In the murine MI/R model, the intravenous administration of LNP@Oip5-as1@CMP significantly decreased myocardial infarct size and improved cardiac function. Mechanistic investigations revealed that Oip5-as1 delivery inhibited the p53 signaling pathway. However, the cardioprotective effects of Oip5-as1 were abrogated by administrating Nutlin-3a, a p53 activator. Furthermore, no signs of major organ damage were detected after LNP@Oip5-as1@CMP injection. Our study reveals the therapeutic potential of LNPs for targeted Oip5-as1 delivery in mitigating MI/R injury. These findings pave the way for advanced targeted treatments in cardiovascular diseases, emphasizing the promise of lncRNA-based therapies.

Background: Methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) is one of the most common hereditary organic acid metabolism disorders that endangers the lives and health of infants and children. Early detection and intervention before the appearance of a newborn's clinical symptoms can control disease progression and prevent or mitigate its serious consequences., Methods: 42,004 newborns from two Chinese populations were included in the study. The small molecular metabolite analytes were detected from the dried blood spot (DBS) samples by MS/MS. Genetic analysis of 68 Chinese MMA cases were performed by whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing. Random forest classifiers (RFC) were constructed to improve the MMA screening performance and genotype prediction in two Chinese populations. Meanwhile, other six machine learning models were trained to separate MMA patients from normal newborns. Model performance was assessed using accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, false positive rate (FPR), and positive predictive value (PPV) and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC)., Results: In the total 42,004 newborn samples, 68 MMA cases were identified by genetic analysis, 42 cases of which were caused by variants in MMACHC, 24 cases by variants in MMUT, and two cases by variants in MMAA. Three novel variants including c.449T>G (p.I150R) of MMACHC, c.1151C>T (p.S384F) and c.1091&#95;1108delins (p.Y364Sfs*4) in MMUT were identified in the MMA patients. RFC for newborn screening of MMA performed best as compared to several other classification models based on machine learning with 100% sensitivity, low FPR, excellent PPV and AUC. In addition, the subdivision RFC for MMA genotype prediction was constructed with superior performance., Conclusions: It can be seen that RFC is extremely helpful for detection and genotype prediction in the newborn MMA screening. In addition, our findings extend the variant spectrum of genes related to MMA., Competing Interests: Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the National Research Institute for Family Planning (Beijing, China). Before newborn screening and the study, each patient’s parent or guardian provided informed consent. Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Microtubule affinity-regulating kinase 2 (MARK2) contributes to establishing neuronal polarity and developing dendritic spines. Although large-scale sequencing studies have associated MARK2 variants with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the clinical features and variant spectrum in affected individuals with MARK2 variants, early developmental phenotypes in mutant human neurons, and the pathogenic mechanism underlying effects on neuronal development have remained unclear. Here, we report 31 individuals with MARK2 variants and presenting with ASD, other neurodevelopmental disorders, and distinctive facial features. Loss-of-function (LoF) variants predominate (81%) in affected individuals, while computational analysis and in vitro expression assay of missense variants supported the effect of MARK2 loss. Using proband-derived and CRISPR-engineered isogenic induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), we show that MARK2 loss leads to early neuronal developmental and functional deficits, including anomalous polarity and dis-organization in neural rosettes, as well as imbalanced proliferation and differentiation in neural progenitor cells (NPCs). Mark2 +/- mice showed abnormal cortical formation and partition and ASD-like behavior. Through the use of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and lithium treatment, we link MARK2 loss to downregulation of the WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway and identify lithium as a potential drug for treating MARK2-associated ASD., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Pathogenic constitutional APC variants underlie familial adenomatous polyposis, the most common hereditary gastrointestinal polyposis syndrome. To improve variant classification and resolve the interpretative challenges of variants of uncertain significance (VUSs), APC-specific variant classification criteria were developed by the ClinGen-InSiGHT Hereditary Colorectal Cancer/Polyposis Variant Curation Expert Panel (VCEP) based on the criteria of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and the Association for Molecular Pathology (ACMG/AMP). A streamlined algorithm using the APC-specific criteria was developed and applied to assess all APC variants in ClinVar and the International Society for Gastrointestinal Hereditary Tumours (InSiGHT) international reference APC Leiden Open Variation Database (LOVD) variant database, which included a total of 10,228 unique APC variants. Among the ClinVar and LOVD variants with an initial classification of (likely) benign or (likely) pathogenic, 94% and 96% remained in their original categories, respectively. In contrast, 41% ClinVar and 61% LOVD VUSs were reclassified into clinically meaningful classes, the vast majority as (likely) benign. The total number of VUSs was reduced by 37%. In 24 out of 37 (65%) promising APC variants that remained VUS despite evidence for pathogenicity, a data-mining-driven work-up allowed their reclassification as (likely) pathogenic. These results demonstrated that the application of APC-specific criteria substantially reduced the number of VUSs in ClinVar and LOVD. The study also demonstrated the feasibility of a systematic approach to variant classification in large datasets, which might serve as a generalizable model for other gene- or disease-specific variant interpretation initiatives. It also allowed for the prioritization of VUSs that will benefit from in-depth evidence collection. This subset of APC variants was approved by the VCEP and made publicly available through ClinVar and LOVD for widespread clinical use., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests S.E.P. is a member of the scientific advisory panel of Baylor Genetics Laboratories., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Among the genome-editing methods for repairing disease-causing mutations resulting in autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa, homology-independent targeted integration (HITI)-mediated gene insertion of the normal form of the causative gene is useful because it allows the development of mutation-agnostic therapeutic products. In this study, we aimed for the rapid optimization and validation of HITI-treatment gene constructs of this approach in developing HITI-treatment constructs for various causative target genes in mouse models of retinal degeneration., Methods: We constructed the Cas9-driven HITI gene cassettes in plasmid vectors to treat the mouse Rho gene. A workflow utilizing in vivo electroporation was established to validate the efficacy of these constructs. Single-cell genotyping was conducted to evaluate allelic donor gene insertion. The therapeutic potency of HITI-treatment plasmid and adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors was examined by section immunohistochemistry and optomotor response (OMR) in Rho+/P23H mutant mice. We also targeted mouse Prph2 to examine the workflow., Results: The optimized HITI-treatment constructs for mouse Rho genes achieved gene insertion in 80% to 90% of transduced mouse rod photoreceptor cells. This construct effectively suppressed degeneration and induced visual restoration in mutant mice. HITI-treatment constructs for the Rhodopsin gene demonstrated efficacy in AAV vectors and are adaptable for the mouse Prph2 gene locus., Conclusions: The study showcases a workflow for the rapid optimization and validation of highly effective HITI-treatment gene constructs against dominant-negative inheritance in inherited retinal dystrophy. These findings suggest the potential utility of this approach in developing HITI-treatment constructs for various target genes, advancing gene therapy products for diverse genetic disorders.

As a structural protein of SARS-CoV-2, the envelope (E) protein not only plays a key role in the formation of viral particles, but also forms ion channels and has pathogenic functions, including triggering cell death and inflammatory responses. The stability of E proteins is controlled by the host ubiquitin-proteasome system. By screening human deubiquitinases, it is found that ubiquitin-specific protease 33 (USP33) can enhance the stability of E proteins depending on its deubiquitinase activity, thereby promoting viral replication. In the absence of USP33, E proteins are rapidly degraded, leading to a reduced viral load and inflammation. Using lipid nanoparticle (LNP) encapsulation of siUSP33 by adjusting the lipid components (ionizable cationic lipids), siUSP33 is successfully delivered to mouse lung tissues, rapidly reducing USP33 expression in the lungs and maintaining knockdown for at least 14 days, effectively suppressing viral replication and virulence. This method of delivery allows efficient targeting of the lungs and a response to acute infections without long-term USP33 deficiency. This research, based on the deubiquitination mechanism of USP33 on the E protein, demonstrates that LNP-mediated siRNA delivery targeting USP33 plays a role in antiviral and anti-inflammatory responses, offering a novel strategy for the prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Lynch syndrome (LS; HNPCC) patients carry heterozygous pathogenic germline variants in mismatch repair (MMR) genes, which have also been shown to play an important role in meiosis. Therefore, it was hypothesized, that LS might be associated with a higher risk for premature ovarian failure (POF) or earlier menopause. Data on medical gynaecological history, cancer diagnoses and therapy were collected from 167 female LS patients and compared to a population-based control cohort. There was no difference between the age of menopause in patients compared to controls and no evidence for a higher risk of POF in LS patients. However, around one third (35%) of the probands have already had premenopausal cancer and mostly cancer-related treatment affecting fertility before the age of 45 years. Therefore, childbearing time might still be limited in these patients, especially due to the premenopausal cancer risk. LS patients should be informed in time about the elevated premenopausal cancer risks and the possible impact on family planning. This is particularly relevant since the average childbearing age has increased during the last decades., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Like the coronavirus disease 2019, the hepatitis B virus is also wreaking havoc worldwide, which has infected over 2 billion people globally. Using an experimental animal model, our previous research observed that the hepatitis B virus genes integrated into human spermatozoa can replicate and express after being transmitted to embryos. However, as of now, this phenomenon has not been confirmed in clinical data from patients., Objectives: To explore the integration of the hepatitis B virus into patients' sperm genome and its potential clinical risks., Materials and Methods: Forty-eight patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection were categorized into two groups: Test Group-1 comprised 23 patients without integration of hepatitis B virus DNA within the sperm genome. Test Group-2 comprised 25 patients with integration of hepatitis B virus DNA within the sperm genome. Forty-eight healthy male donors were included as control. The standard semen parameter analysis, real-time polymerase chain reaction, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, sperm chromatin structure assay, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and immunofluorescence assays were utilized., Results: The difference in the median copy number of hepatitis B virus DNA per mL of sera between Test Group-1 and Group-2 was not statistically significant. In Test Group-2, the integration rate of hepatitis B virus DNA was 0.109%, which showed a significant correlation with the median copy number of hepatitis B virus DNA in motile spermatozoa (1.18 × 10 3 /mL). Abnormal semen parameters were found in almost all these 25 patients. The integrated hepatitis B virus S, C, X, and P genes were detected to be introduced into sperm-derived embryos through fertilization and retained their function in replication, transcription, and translation., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that hepatitis B virus infection can lead to sperm quality deterioration and reduced fertilization capacity. Furthermore, viral integration causes instability in the sperm genome, increasing the potential risk of termination, miscarriage, and stillbirth. This study identified an unconventional mode of hepatitis B virus transmission through genes rather than virions. The presence of viral sequences in the embryonic genome poses a risk of liver inflammation and cancer., (© 2024 The Authors. Andrology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society of Andrology and European Academy of Andrology.)

Angiogenesis, a vital physiological or pathological process regulated by complex molecular networks, is widely implicated in organismal development and the pathogenesis of various diseases. SIRT7, a member of the Sirtuin family of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide + (NAD + ) dependent deacetylases, plays crucial roles in cellular processes such as transcriptional regulation, cell metabolism, cell proliferation, and genome stability maintenance. Characterized by its enzymatic activities, SIRT7 targets an array of substrates, several of which exert regulatory effects on angiogenesis. Experimental evidence from in vitro and in vivo studies consistently demonstrates the effects of SIRT7 in modulating angiogenesis, mediated through various molecular mechanisms. Consequently, understanding the regulatory role of SIRT7 in angiogenesis holds significant promise, offering novel avenues for therapeutic interventions targeting either SIRT7 or angiogenesis. This review delineates the putative molecular mechanisms by which SIRT7 regulates angiogenesis, taking its substrates as a clue, endeavoring to elucidate experimental observations by integrating knowledge of SIRT7 substrates and established angiogenenic mechanisms.

The UCSC Genome Browser (https://genome.ucsc.edu) is a widely utilized web-based tool for visualization and analysis of genomic data, encompassing over 4000 assemblies from diverse organisms. Since its release in 2001, it has become an essential resource for genomics and bioinformatics research. Annotation data available on Genome Browser includes both internally created and maintained tracks as well as custom tracks and track hubs provided by the research community. This last year's updates include over 25 new annotation tracks such as the gnomAD 4.1 track on the human GRCh38/hg38 assembly, the addition of three new public hubs, and significant expansions to the Genome Archive[GenArk) system for interacting with the enormous variety of assemblies. We have also made improvements to our interface, including updates to the browser graphic page, such as a new popup dialog feature that now displays item details without requiring navigation away from the main Genome Browser page. GenePred tracks have been upgraded with right-click options for zooming and precise navigation, along with enhanced mouseOver functions. Additional improvements include a new grouping feature for track hubs and hub description info links. A new tutorial focusing on Clinical Genetics has also been added to the UCSC Genome Browser., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.)

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are the multipotent progenitors of all immune cells. During aging, their regenerative capacity decreases for reasons that are not well understood. Recently, Song et al investigated the roles of two metabolic proteins in age-related HSC dysfunction: CD38 (a membrane-bound NADase) and the mitochondrial calcium uniporter that transports calcium into the mitochondrial matrix. They found that the interplay between these proteins is deranged in aged HSCs, contributing to their diminished renewal capacity. These findings implicate compromised nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide metabolism as underlying HSC dysfunction in aging., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s), Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Chemotherapy resistance remains a significant obstacle that limits the long-term efficacy of cancer therapy, necessitating further investigations into the underlying mechanisms. Here, we find that DNA fragments induced by chemotherapeutic agents trigger the degradation of cGAS, a potent double-strand DNA (dsDNA) sensor, by lysosomes. Mechanically, the lysosome-localized protein LAMTOR1 is up-regulated, and the interaction between LAMTOR1 and cGAS is enhanced upon exposure to DNA fragments, boosting the accumulation and digestion of cGAS in lysosomes through the receptor protein p62. LAMTOR1 deficiency increases cGAS abundance and promotes activation of the cGAS-STING pathway, leading to subsequent production of type I interferons induced by cytosolic DNA stimulation. Loss of LAMTOR1 synergizes with immunotherapy and chemotherapy to inhibit tumor growth and prolong the survival time of tumor-bearing mice by promoting the infiltration of effective T lymphocytes. Thus, our study reveals a regulation of cGAS abundance and provides a potential strategy to overcome chemotherapy resistance by targeting LAMTOR1., Competing Interests: Competing interests statement:The authors declare no competing interest.

The most important factor that complicates the work of dysmorphologists is the significant phenotypic variability of the human face. Next-Generation Phenotyping (NGP) tools that assist clinicians with recognizing characteristic syndromic patterns are particularly challenged when confronted with patients from populations different from their training data. To that end, we systematically analyzed the impact of genetic ancestry on facial dysmorphism. For that purpose, we established the GestaltMatcher Database (GMDB) as a reference dataset for medical images of patients with rare genetic disorders from around the world. We collected 10,980 frontal facial images - more than a quarter previously unpublished - from 8,346 patients, representing 581 rare disorders. Although the predominant ancestry is still European (67%), data from underrepresented populations have been increased considerably via global collaborations (19% Asian and 7% African). This includes previously unpublished reports for more than 40% of the African patients. The NGP analysis on this diverse dataset revealed characteristic performance differences depending on the composition of training and test sets corresponding to genetic relatedness. For clinical use of NGP, incorporating non-European patients resulted in a profound enhancement of GestaltMatcher performance. The top-5 accuracy rate increased by +11.29%. Importantly, this improvement in delineating the correct disorder from a facial portrait was achieved without decreasing the performance on European patients. By design, GMDB complies with the FAIR principles by rendering the curated medical data findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable. This means GMDB can also serve as data for training and benchmarking. In summary, our study on facial dysmorphism on a global sample revealed a considerable cross ancestral phenotypic variability confounding NGP that should be counteracted by international efforts for increasing data diversity. GMDB will serve as a vital reference database for clinicians and a transparent training set for advancing NGP technology.

Background: Multi-locus imprinting disturbance (MLID) with methylation defects in various differentially methylated regions (DMRs) has recently been identified in approximately 150 cases with imprinting disorders (IDs), and deleterious variants have been found in genes related to methylation maintenance of DMRs, such as those encoding proteins constructing the subcortical maternal complex (SCMC), in a small fraction of patients and/or their mothers. However, integrated methylation analysis for DMRs and sequence analysis for MLID-causative genes in MLID cases and their mothers have been performed only in a single study focusing on Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) and Silver-Russell syndrome (SRS) phenotypes., Results: Of 783 patients with various IDs we have identified to date, we examined a total of 386 patients with confirmed epimutation and 71 patients with epimutation or uniparental disomy. Consequently, we identified MLID in 29 patients with epimutation confirmed by methylation analysis for multiple ID-associated DMRs using pyrosequencing and/or methylation-specific multiple ligation-dependent probe amplification. MLID was detected in approximately 12% of patients with BWS phenotype and approximately 5% of patients with SRS phenotype, but not in patients with Kagami-Ogata syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, or Angelman syndrome phenotypes. We next conducted array-based methylation analysis for 78 DMRs and whole-exome sequencing in the 29 patients, revealing hypomethylation-dominant aberrant methylation patterns in various DMRs of all the patients, eight probably deleterious variants in genes for SCMC in the mothers of patients, and one homozygous deleterious variant in ZNF445 in one patient. These variants did not show gene-specific methylation disturbance patterns. Clinically, neurodevelopmental delay and/or intellectual developmental disorder (ND/IDD) was observed in about half of the MLID patients, with no association with the identified methylation disturbance patterns and genetic variants. Notably, seven patients with BWS phenotype were conceived by assisted reproductive technology (ART)., Conclusions: The frequency of MLID was 7.5% (29/386) in IDs caused by confirmed epimutation. Furthermore, we revealed diverse patterns of hypomethylation-dominant methylation defects, nine deleterious variants, ND/IDD complications in about half of the MLID patients, and a high frequency of MLID in ART-conceived patients., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid nanoparticles and play an important role in cell-cell communications, making them potential therapeutic agents and allowing to engineer for targeted drug delivery. The expanding applications of EVs in next generation medicine is still limited by existing tools for scaling standardized EV production, single EV tracing and analytics, and thus provide only a snapshot of tissue-specific EV cargo information. Here, we present the Snorkel-tag, for which we have genetically fused the EV surface marker protein CD81, to a series of tags with an additional transmembrane domain to be displayed on the EV surface, resembling a snorkel. This system enables the affinity purification of EVs from complex matrices in a non-destructive form while maintaining EV characteristics in terms of surface protein profiles, associated miRNA patterns and uptake into a model cell line. Therefore, we consider the Snorkel-tag to be a widely applicable tool in EV research, allowing for efficient preparation of EV standards and reference materials, or dissecting EVs with different surface markers when fusing to other tetraspanins in vitro or in vivo., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Extracellular Vesicles published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Society for Extracellular Vesicles.)

The intrinsically disordered protein MeCP2 is a global transcriptional regulator encoded by the MECP2 gene. Although the structured domains of MeCP2 have been the subject of multiple studies, its unstructured regions have not been that extensively characterized. In this work, we show that MeCP2 possesses properties akin to those of supercharged proteins. By utilizing its unstructured portions, MeCP2 can successfully transduce across cell membranes and localize to heterochromatic foci in the nuclei, displaying uptake levels a third lower than a MeCP2 construct fused to the cell-penetrating peptide TAT. MeCP2 uptake can further be enhanced by the addition of compounds that promote endosomal escape following cellular trafficking by means of macropinocytosis. Using a combination of in silico prediction algorithms and live-cell imaging experiments, we mapped the sequence in MeCP2 responsible for its cellular incorporation, which bears a striking resemblance to TAT itself. Transduced MeCP2 was shown to interact with HDAC3. These findings provide valuable insight into the properties of MeCP2 and may be beneficial for devising future protein-based treatment strategies., (© 2024 The Author(s). Protein Science published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Protein Society.)

Objective: To evaluate in vitro fertilization (IVF) and perinatal outcomes of donor egg and autologous cycles in patients with advanced reproductive age after undergoing single frozen euploid embryo transfer., Design: A multicenter, retrospective, cohort study., Setting: University-affiliated and private IVF centers., Patient(s): Patients aged 39-46 years who underwent IVF with intracytoplasmic sperm injection and preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy using whole-chromosome sequencing with donor (n = 278) or autologous (n = 278) oocytes between October 2017 and October 2021., Intervention(s): Single frozen euploid embryo transfer with donor or autologous euploid embryo., Main Outcome Measure(s): The main outcome measure was the live birth rate (LBR) after the first embryo transfer, calculated per embryo transfer. The secondary outcomes included the implantation rate, ectopic pregnancy rate, miscarriage rate, and gestational age and birth weight at the time of delivery., Result(s): Patients using donor or autologous oocytes had a similar likelihood of implantation (57.91% [51.87-63.78] vs. 57.19% [51.15-63.09]) and LBR (41.01% [95% confidence interval {CI}, 35.17-47.04] vs. 42.45% [95% CI, 36.56-48.49]). Furthermore, there were no significant differences in the ectopic pregnancy rate (0.72% [0.09-2.57] vs. 0.36% [0.01-1.99]), miscarriage rate (16.19% [12.06-21.05] vs. 14.39% [95% CI, 10.48-19.08]), gestational age (38.50 [38.08-38.92] vs. 39.16 [38.25-40.07] weeks), or birth weight of infants (2,982.25 [2,606.69-3,357.81] vs. 3,128.24 [2,962.30-3,294.17] kg). The univariate analysis showed no association between advanced maternal age and the LBR (relative risk, 1.03 [95% CI, 0.84-1.25]). Multivariate analysis using putative confounders for embryo competency found no associations with LBR (adjusted relative risk, 1.22 [95% CI, 0.75-1.98])., Conclusion(s): Patients with euploid blastocysts derived from donor or autologous oocytes did not reveal statistically significant differences in the LBR, implantation rate, ectopic pregnancy rate, miscarriage rate, duration of gestation, or infant birth weight. These findings suggest that age-related reproductive decline and/or poor IVF outcomes associated with women with advanced reproductive age undergoing IVF are heavily driven by embryonic aneuploidy., Competing Interests: Declaration of Interests M.C. has nothing to disclose. A.C. has nothing to disclose. J.A.G.-V. has nothing to disclose. A.P. has nothing to disclose. A.V. has nothing to disclose. D.G. has nothing to disclose. D.C. has nothing to disclose. F.M.U. has nothing to disclose. V.P. has nothing to disclose. P.E.L.-S. has nothing to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Currently, the most commonly used methods for linkage analysis of pre-implantation genetic testing for monogenic disorders (PGT-M) are next generation sequencing (NGS) and SNP array. We aim to investigate whether the application efficacy of Asian screening array (ASA) in PGT-M preclinical workup for the Chinese population is superior to NGS based single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panels., Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis by reviewing 294 couples from a single center over the past 4 years and compared the detection results between NGS-based SNP panels and ASA. Using the numbers of informative SNPs upstream and downstream flanking of variants, we assessed the detection efficiency of both methods in monogenic diseases, chromosomal microdeletion syndrome and males with de novo variants, among other scenarios., Results: Results indicate that ASA offers a greater number of informative SNPs compared with NGS-based SNP panels. Additionally, data analysis for ASA is generally more straightforward and may require less computational resources. While ASA can address most PGT-M challenges, we have also identified certain genes in previous tests that are not suitable for PGT-M using ASA., Conclusion: The application of ASA in PGT-M preclinical workup for Chinese populations has good practical value as it can perform linkage analysis for most genetic variants. However, for certain variants, NGS or other testing methods, such as mutated allele revealed by sequencing with aneuploidy and linkage analysis (MARSALA), may still be necessary for completion., (© 2024 The Author(s). Prenatal Diagnosis published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

RhoJ is a Rho GTPase that belongs to the Cdc42 subfamily and has a molecular weight of approximately 21 kDa. It can activate the p21-activated kinase family either directly or indirectly, influencing the activity of various downstream effectors and playing a role in regulating the cytoskeleton, cell movement, and cell cycle. RhoJ's expression and activity are controlled by multiple upstream factors at different levels, including expression, subcellular localization, and activation. High RhoJ expression is generally associated with a poor prognosis for cancer patients and is mainly due to an increased number of tumor blood vessels and abnormal expression in malignant cells. RhoJ promotes tumor progression through several pathways, particularly in tumor angiogenesis and drug resistance. Clinical data also indicates that high RhoJ expression is closely linked to the pathological features of tumor malignancy. There are various cancer treatment methods that target RhoJ signaling, such as direct binding to inhibit the RhoJ effector pocket, inhibiting RhoJ expression, blocking RhoJ upstream and downstream signals, and indirectly inhibiting RhoJ's effect. RhoJ is an emerging cancer biomarker and a significant target for future cancer clinical research and drug development., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature America, Inc.)

Background/Objectives: Alu element insertion in the exon 4 of the RP1 gene was newly identified through whole genome sequencing (WGS). This was not detected in previous next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis. We report three cases of Korean retinitis pigmentosa (RP) patients with compound heterozygous variants including Alu element insertion in the RP1 gene, indicating that Alu element insertion could be a cause of RP; Methods: gene in the Asan Medical Center, WGS was additionally performed for genetically unsolved cases in previous NGS analysis to detect any presence of RP1 gene in the Asan Medical Center, WGS was additionally performed for genetically unsolved cases in previous NGS analysis to detect any presence of Alu element insertion. For cases detected to have Alu element insertion in the exon 4 of the RP1 gene, genetic and clinical characteristics were analyzed; Results : Among 16 patients with RP, 3 patients were detected to have Alu element insertion in the RP1 gene. Alu element insertion in the RP1 gene was also detected using WGS. It was revealed to be a pathogenic variant. Therefore, RP1 gene mutation was the confirmed genetic cause of RP for these three cases and genetic counseling was enabled for them; Conclusions : Alu element insertion in the RP1 gene could be a genetic cause of autosomal recessive RP patients with compound heterozygous variants. Through WGS, the identification of this pathogenic variant was possible. Confirmation is needed to check the presence of Alu element insertion in patients with compound heterozygous variants in the RP1 gene.

Background: Alström disease is a rare disorder caused by various variants in the ALMS1 gene. It is characterised by multiorgan involvement, namely neurosensory deficits, endocrine and metabolic disturbances, cardiomyopathy, and hepatic and renal dysfunction. The disease exhibits marked interindividual variability, both in clinical manifestations and age of onset. Several attempts have been made to establish a relationship between phenotype and genotype, with little success., Methods: We present the case of an infant who presented with dilated cardiomyopathy, above-average weight and neurosensory deficits, raising the suspicion for Alström syndrome, later confirmed through genetic testing. Moreover, we conducted an extensive literature search to identify all reported cases having the same variant as our patient, in order to evaluate whether specific mutated alleles have a role in determining phenotype-genotype associations., Results: A 4-month-old female infant with a recent history of bronchiolitis was referred to our centre due to a systolic murmur. In our service, the clinical exam was significant for above-average weight, dyspnea, wheezing and a grade II systolic murmur. Echocardiography revealed dilated cardiomyopathy with severe systolic dysfunction of the left ventricle. Laboratory investigations revealed elevated NT-proBNP and troponin levels, along with positive IgM antibodies for CMV and EBV. Dilated cardiomyopathy attributed to viral myocarditis was suspected. Treatment with ACE inhibitors and diuretics was started, with a favourable response initially. However, after a few months, the patient presented with vertical nystagmus and head bobbing. The ophthalmologic exam revealed cone-rode dystrophy. Considering the constellation of symptoms, Alström syndrome was suspected. Genetic testing revealed a homozygous variant [c.4156dup (p.Thr1386Asnfs*15)] in the ALMS1 gene, confirming the diagnosis., Conclusion: Our literature review revealed 8 additional cases harbouring the same variant as our patient, five in a heterozygous state, two in a homozygous state and one with only one allele identified. The identified patients presented high heterogeneity of clinical manifestations and age of onset. The heterogeneity persisted even in patients with homozygous variants, suggesting the involvement of factors beyond the specific disease-causing variant in determining disease manifestation. Therefore, genotype-phenotype correlations might not be supported by specific variants., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2024 Jecan-Toader, Trifa, Lucian, Pop and Cainap.)

Some toddlers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have mild social symptoms and developmental improvement in skills, but for others, symptoms and abilities are moderately or even severely affected. Those with profound autism have the most severe social, language, and cognitive symptoms and are at the greatest risk of having a poor developmental outcome. The little that is known about the underlying biology of this important profound autism subtype, points clearly to embryonic dysregulation of proliferation, differentiation and neurogenesis. Because it is essential to gain foundational knowledge of the molecular biology associated with profound, moderate, and mild autism clinical subtypes, we used well-validated, data-driven patient subtyping methods to integrate clinical and molecular data at 1 to 3 years of age in a cohort of 363 ASD and controls representative of the general pediatric population in San Diego County. Clinical data were diagnostic, language, cognitive and adaptive ability scores. Molecular measures were 50 MSigDB Hallmark gene pathway activity scores derived from RNAseq gene expression. Subtyping identified four ASD, typical and mixed diagnostic clusters. 93% of subjects in one cluster were profound autism and 93% in a different cluster were control toddlers; a third cluster was 76% moderate ability ASD; and the last cluster was a mix of mild ASD and control toddlers. Among the four clusters, the profound autism subtype had the most severe social symptoms, language, cognitive, adaptive, social attention eye tracking, social fMRI activation, and age-related decline in abilities, while mild autism toddlers mixed within typical and delayed clusters had mild social symptoms, and neurotypical language, cognitive and adaptive scores that improved with age compared with profound and moderate autism toddlers in other clusters. In profound autism, 7 subtype- specific dysregulated gene pathways were found; they control embryonic proliferation, differentiation, neurogenesis, and DNA repair. To find subtype- common dysregulated pathways, we compared all ASD vs TD and found 17 ASD subtype- common dysregulated pathways. These common pathways showed a severity gradient with the greatest dysregulation in profound and least in mild. Collectively, results raise the new hypothesis that the continuum of ASD heterogeneity is moderated by subtype- common pathways and the distinctive nature of profound autism is driven by the differentially added profound subtype- specific embryonic pathways ., Competing Interests: Competing Interests The authors declare no competing interests.