Identification of biomarkers to monitor the progression of Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome

European Joint Progamme Rare Diseases 2022: "Development of new analytic tools and pathways to accelerate diagnosis and facilitate diagnostic monitoring of rare diseases”

Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) (OMIM 176670), also known as Progeria, is an ultrarare rare (prevalence 1 in 18-20 million) genetic pediatric disorder characterized by segmental severe premature aging and early death (average lifespan 14.5 years), and for which no cure exists.

The disease is caused by a de novo heterozygous dominant mutation in the LMNA gene (encoding nuclear A-type lamins), most frequently the single base substitution c.1824C>T (p.Gly608Gly) (“classic HGPS”, in ~90% of patients). This synonymous mutation activates an alternative splice donor site in LMNA exon 11, which produces an aberrant mRNA lacking 150 nucleotides (LMNAΔ150) that translates into a truncated version of prelamin A called progerin. The C-terminal end of progerin lacks the cleavage site for the endoprotease ZMPSTE24; therefore, progerin remains irreversibly farnesylated and methylated and exerts a dominant-negative damaging effect. Progerin accumulation causes multiple alterations in cells, including aberrant nuclear morphology, severe heterochromatin loss, mislocalization and loss of chromatin-associated proteins and DNA damage repair proteins, and telomere and mitochondrial dysfunction, among other alterations, which ultimately cause cell senescence and eventually cell death.

Research Partners

Vicente Andrés (Coordinator)
Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC), Madrid, SPAIN

Collaborating Patient Associations

Asociación Progeria
Alexandra Peraut

Associazione Italiana Progeria Sammy Basso onlus

The Progeria
Research Foundation

Research Focus

Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) (OMIM 176670), also known as Progeria, is an ultrarare rare (prevalence 1 in 18-20 million) genetic pediatric disorder characterized by segmental severe premature aging and early death (average lifespan 14.5 years), and for which no cure exists.

The disease is caused by a de novo heterozygous dominant mutation in the LMNA gene (encoding nuclear A-type lamins), most frequently the single base substitution c.1824C>T (p.Gly608Gly) (“classic HGPS”, in ~90% of patients).

For reasons that remain unknown and unpredictable, HGPS progression shows high inter-individual variability (eg, lifespan in HGPS patients ranges from 6 to 20 years).

While previous studies have applied several high-throughput omics modalities in progerin-expressing animal models and human cells for the unbiased identification of disease biomarkers…

Work Packages

Publications

“UHRF1 epigenetically orchestrates smooth muscle cell plasticity in arterial disease”

Elia L, Kunderfranco P, Carullo P, Vacchiano M, Farina FM, Hall IF, Mantero S, Panico C, Papait R, Condorelli G, Quintavalle M.
Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2018. Doi: 10.1172/JCI96121.
noviembre 21, 2023

“miR-128-3p is a novel regulator of vascular smooth muscle cell phenotypic switch and vascular diseases”

Farina F, Hall F, Serio S, Zani S, Climent M, Salvarani N, Carullo P, Civilini E, Condorelli G, Elia L#, Quintavalle M#.
Circulation Research, 2020. Doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.120.316489. #Corresponding author
noviembre 21, 2023

Coronary and carotid artery dysfunction and KV7 overexpression in a mouse model of Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome

Macías A, Nevado RM, González-Gómez C, Gonzalo P, Andrés-Manzano MJ, Dorado B, Benedicto I, Andrés V.
GeroScience doi 10.1007/s11357-023-00808-3 (2023)
noviembre 21, 2023

A comparison of different machine-learning techniques for theselection of a panel of metabolites allowing early detection of brain tumors

Godlewski A, Czajkowski M, Mojsak P, Pienkowski T, Gosk W, Lyson T, Mariak Z, Reszec J, Kondraciuk M, Kaminski K, Kretowski M, Moniuszko M, Kretowski A, Ciborowski M.
Sci Rep. 2023 Jul 8;13(1):11044. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-38243-1. PMID: 37422554; PMCID: PMC10329700.
julio 8, 2023

Global Oxidative Status Is Linked to Calcific Aortic Stenosis: The Differences Due to Diabetes Mellitus and the Effects of Metformin

Corbacho-Alonso N, Rodríguez-Sánchez E, Sastre-Oliva T, Mercado-García E, Perales-Sánchez I, Juarez-Alia C, López-Almodovar LF, Padial LR, Tejerina T, Mourino-Alvarez L, Ruiz-Hurtado G, Barderas MG.
abril 28, 2023

Diabetes mellitus and aortic stenosis head to head: toward personalized medicine in patients with both pathologies

Corbacho-Alonso N, Sastre-Oliva T, López-Almodovar LF, Solis J, Padial LR, Tejerina T, Carrascal M, Mourino-Alvarez L, Barderas MG.
abril 20, 2023