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Dysostosis multiplex is a major cause of morbidity in Hurler syndrome (mucopolysaccharidosis type IH [MPS IH], OMIM #607014) because currently available therapies have limited success in its prevention and reversion. Unfortunately, the elucidation of skeletal pathogenesis in MPS IH is limited by difficulties in obtaining bone specimens from pediatric patients and poor reproducibility in animal models. Thus, the application of experimental systems that can be used to dissect cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the skeletal phenotype of MPS IH patients and to identify effective therapies is highly needed. Here, we adopted in vitro/in vivo systems based on patient-derived bone marrow stromal cells to generate cartilaginous pellets and bone rudiments. Interestingly, we observed that heparan sulphate accumulation compromised the remodeling of MPS IH cartilage into other skeletal tissues and other critical aspects of the endochondral ossification process. We also noticed that MPS IH hypertrophic cartilage was characterized by dysregulation of signaling pathways controlling cartilage hypertrophy and fate, extracellular matrix organization, and glycosaminoglycan metabolism. Our study demonstrates that the cartilaginous pellet–based system is a valuable tool to study MPS IH dysostosis and to develop new therapeutic approaches for this hard-to-treat aspect of the disease. Finally, our approach may be applied for modeling other genetic skeletal disorders.

Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS-I), a lysosomal storage disorder caused by a deficiency of alpha-L-iduronidase enzyme, results in the progressive accumulation of glycosaminoglycans and consequent multiorgan dysfunction. Despite the effectiveness of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) in correcting clinical manifestations related to visceral organs, complete improvement of musculoskeletal and neurocognitive defects remains an unmet challenge and provides an impact on patients' quality of life. We tested the therapeutic efficacy of combining HSCT and ERT in the neonatal period. Using a mouse model of MPS-I, we demonstrated that the combination therapy improved clinical manifestations in organs usually refractory to current treatment. Moreover, combination with HSCT prevented the production of anti-IDUA antibodies that negatively impact ERT efficacy. The added benefits of combining both treatments also resulted in a reduction of skeletal anomalies and a trend towards decreased neuroinflammation and metabolic abnormalities. As currently there are limited therapeutic options for MPS-I patients, our findings suggest that the combination of HSCT and ERT during the neonatal period may provide a further step forward in the treatment of this rare disease.

Allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has proven to be a viable treatment option for a selected group of patients with mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS), including those with MPS types I, II, IVA, VI, and VII. Early diagnosis and timely referral to an expert in MPS are critical, followed by a complete examination and evaluation by a multidisciplinary team, including a transplantation physician. Treatment recommendations for MPS are based on multiple biological, sociological, and financial factors, including type of MPS, clinical severity, prognosis, present clinical signs and symptoms (disease stage), age at onset, rate of progression, family factors and expectations, financial burden, feasibility, availability, risks and benefits of available therapies such as HSCT, enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), surgical interventions, and other supportive care. International collaboration and data review are critical to evaluating the therapeutic efficacy and adverse effects of HSCT for MPS. Collaborative efforts to assess HSCT for MPS have been ongoing since the first attempt at HSCT in a patient with MPS reported in 1981. The accumulation of data since then has made it possible to identify early outcomes (ie, transplantation outcomes) and long-term disease-specific outcomes resulting from HSCT. The recent identification of predictive factors and the development of innovative regimens have significantly improved the outcomes of both engraftment failure and transplantation-related mortality. Assessment of long-term outcomes has considered a variety of factors, including type of MPS, type of graft, age at transplantation, and stage of disease progression, among others. Studies on long-term outcomes are considered a key factor in the use of HSCT in patients with MPS. These studies have shown the effects and limitations of HSCT on improving disease manifestations and quality of life. In this review, we summarize the efficacy, side effects, risks, and cost of HSCT for

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is a promising source of stem cells to use in early haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) approaches for several genetic diseases that can be diagnosed at birth. Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS-I) is a progressive multi-system disorder caused by deficiency of lysosomal enzyme α-L-iduronidase, and patients treated with allogeneic HSCT at the onset have improved outcome, suggesting to administer such therapy as early as possible. Given that the best characterized MPS-I murine model is an immunocompetent mouse, we here developed a transplantation system based on murine UCB. With the final aim of testing the therapeutic efficacy of UCB in MPS-I mice transplanted at birth, we first defined the features of murine UCB cells and demonstrated that they are capable of multi-lineage haematopoietic repopulation of myeloablated adult mice similarly to bone marrow cells. We then assessed the effectiveness of murine UCB cells transplantation in busulfan-conditioned newborn MPS-I mice. Twenty weeks after treatment, iduronidase activity was increased in visceral organs of MPS-I animals, glycosaminoglycans storage was reduced, and skeletal phenotype was ameliorated. This study explores a potential therapy for MPS-I at a very early stage in life and represents a novel model to test UCB-based transplantation approaches for various diseases.

Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPSs) are a group of lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs). The increasing interest in newborn screening procedures for LSDs underlines the need for alternative cellular and gene therapy approaches to be developed during the perinatal period, supporting the treatment of MPS patients before the onset of clinical signs and symptoms. The rationale for considering these early therapies results from the clinical experience in the treatment of MPSs and other genetic disorders. The normal or gene-corrected hematopoiesis transplanted in patients can produce the missing protein at levels sufficient to improve and/or halt the disease-related abnormalities. However, these current therapies are only partially successful, probably due to the limited efficacy of the protein provided through the hematopoiesis. An alternative explanation is that the time at which the cellular or gene therapy procedures are performed could be too late to prevent pre-existing or progressive organ damage. Considering these aspects, in the last several years, novel cellular and gene therapy approaches have been tested in different animal models at birth, a highly early stage, showing that precocious treatment is critical to prevent long-term pathological consequences. This review provides insights into the state-of-art accomplishments made with neonatal cellular and gene-based therapies and the major barriers that need to be overcome before they can be implemented in the medical community.

The cerebellum generates its vast amount of output to the cerebral cortex through the dentate nucleus (DN) that is essential for precise limb movements in primates. Nuclear cells in DN generate burst activity prior to limb movement, and inactivation of DN results in cerebellar ataxia. The question is how DN cells become active under intensive inhibitory drive from Purkinje cells (PCs). There are two excitatory inputs to DN, mossy fiber and climbing fiber collaterals, but neither of them appears to have sufficient strength for generation of burst activity in DN. Therefore, we can assume two possible mechanisms: post-inhibitory rebound excitation and disinhibition. If rebound excitation works, phasic excitation of PCs and a concomitant inhibition of DN cells should precede the excitation of DN cells. On the other hand, if disinhibition plays a primary role, phasic suppression of PCs and activation of DN cells should be observed at the same timing. To examine these two hypotheses, we compared the activity patterns of PCs in the cerebrocerebellum and DN cells during step-tracking wrist movements in three Japanese monkeys. As a result, we found that the majority of wrist-movement-related PCs were suppressed prior to movement onset and the majority of wrist-movement-related DN cells showed concurrent burst activity without prior suppression. In a minority of PCs and DN cells, movement-related increases and decreases in activity, respectively, developed later. These activity patterns suggest that the initial burst activity in DN cells is generated by reduced inhibition from PCs, i.e., by disinhibition. Our results indicate that suppression of PCs, which has been considered secondary to facilitation, plays the primary role in generating outputs from DN. Our findings provide a new perspective on the mechanisms used by PCs to influence limb motor control and on the plastic changes that underlie motor learning in the cerebrocerebellum.