Publications by authors named "Carlos A Bacino"

Angelman syndrome (AS) is a severe genetic neurodevelopmental disorder with no disease-modifying treatments. AS is caused by deletion or mutation of the neuronally imprinted gene encoding the ubiquitin-protein ligase E3A (UBE3A). Rugonersen (RO7248824) is an antisense oligonucleotide that reinstates UBE3A by derepressing the silenced paternal allele.

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Background: Disease-causing copy-number variants (CNVs) often encompass contiguous genes and can be detected using chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA). Conversely, CNVs affecting single disease-causing genes have historically been challenging to detect due to their small sizes.

Methods: A custom comprehensive CMA (Baylor College of Medicine - BCM v11.

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Background: Vosoritide is a C-type natriuretic peptide analog that addresses an underlying pathway causing reduced bone growth in achondroplasia. Understanding the vosoritide treatment effect requires evaluation over an extended duration and comparison with outcomes in untreated children.

Methods: After completing ≥6 months of a baseline observational growth study and 52 weeks in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study (ClinicalTrials.

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encodes a human long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) adjacent to , a coding gene in which de novo loss-of-function variants cause developmental and epileptic encephalopathy. Here, we report our findings in three unrelated children with a syndromic, early-onset neurodevelopmental disorder, each of whom had a de novo deletion in the locus. The children had severe encephalopathy, shared facial dysmorphisms, cortical atrophy, and cerebral hypomyelination - a phenotype that is distinct from the phenotypes of patients with haploinsufficiency.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to assess how vosoritide affects the quality of life in children with achondroplasia over a 3-year period.
  • Participants, aged around 9.7 years, received the treatment for an average of 4 years, following a prior placebo-controlled trial.
  • Results showed significant improvements in physical and social health scores, especially in children who experienced notable height increases, indicating that vosoritide positively impacts their overall functioning.
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  • * Various MED12-related disorders show distinct patterns based on gender, affecting males and females differently, and involve conditions like Opitz-Kaveggia syndrome and Hardikar syndrome.
  • * Recent findings from genetic studies reveal new variants of the MED12 gene that could link it to congenital diaphragmatic hernia in females, suggesting more complex genetic contributions to these disorders than previously thought.
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We report a 40-year-old African American female with a novel variant in exon 8 of DNA methyltransferase 3 alpha (DNMT3A), (NM_022552.4: c.905G>C, p.

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Background: Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with severe global developmental delay. However, the ages at which different developmental skills are achieved in these individuals remain unclear. We seek to determine the probability and the age of acquisition of specific developmental milestones and daily living skills in individuals with AS across the different molecular subtypes, viz.

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Background And Objective: Vosoritide is a recently approved therapy for achondroplasia, the most common form of disproportionate short stature, that has been shown to be well tolerated and effective in increasing linear growth. This study aimed to develop a population pharmacokinetic (PPK) model to characterize pharmacokinetics (PK) of vosoritide and establish a weight-band dosing regimen.

Methods: A PPK model was developed using data from five clinical trials in children with achondroplasia (aged 0.

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RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) has recently been used in translational research settings to facilitate diagnoses of Mendelian disorders. A significant obstacle for clinical laboratories in adopting RNA-seq is the low or absent expression of a significant number of disease-associated genes/transcripts in clinically accessible samples. As this is especially problematic in neurological diseases, we developed a clinical diagnostic approach that enhanced the detection and evaluation of tissue-specific genes/transcripts through fibroblast-to-neuron cell transdifferentiation.

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Article Synopsis
  • Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) make up a significant part of the human genome, but findings show that a specific lncRNA, located near a coding gene, is linked to severe developmental disorders and epilepsy through harmful mutations.
  • Researchers found three individuals with a rare deletion affecting this lncRNA, displaying similar symptoms such as developmental delays and distinct facial features, differing from typical haploinsufficiency effects.
  • The study revealed that this deletion leads to altered mRNA and protein levels in patients, demonstrating that structural variants can cause neurodevelopmental disorders and emphasizing the importance of further evaluating lncRNAs in relation to genetic diseases.
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Purpose: Genomic medicine can end diagnostic odysseys for patients with complex phenotypes; however, limitations in insurance coverage and other systemic barriers preclude individuals from accessing comprehensive genetics evaluation and testing.

Methods: The Texome Project is a 4-year study that reduces barriers to genomic testing for individuals from underserved and underrepresented populations. Participants with undiagnosed, rare diseases who have financial barriers to obtaining exome sequencing (ES) clinically are enrolled in the Texome Project.

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PPFIA3 encodes the protein-tyrosine phosphatase, receptor-type, F-polypeptide-interacting-protein-alpha-3 (PPFIA3), which is a member of the LAR-protein-tyrosine phosphatase-interacting-protein (liprin) family involved in synapse formation and function, synaptic vesicle transport, and presynaptic active zone assembly. The protein structure and function are evolutionarily well conserved, but human diseases related to PPFIA3 dysfunction are not yet reported in OMIM. Here, we report 20 individuals with rare PPFIA3 variants (19 heterozygous and 1 compound heterozygous) presenting with developmental delay, intellectual disability, hypotonia, dysmorphisms, microcephaly or macrocephaly, autistic features, and epilepsy with reduced penetrance.

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  • Pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP1B) is primarily caused by epigenetic defects in the GNAS locus, leading to variable symptoms like hormonal resistances and severe obesity, particularly in children.
  • Three siblings with a genetic deletion were studied, showing signs of PTH and TSH resistance along with obesity and hyperphagia, varying across family members.
  • The case highlights PHP1B's phenotypic variation within families, revealing a new link to severe childhood obesity, which is often overlooked in genetic testing.
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Background: Vosoritide is a recombinant C-type natriuretic peptide analogue that increases annualised growth velocity in children with achondroplasia aged 5-18 years. We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of vosoritide in infants and children younger than 5 years.

Methods: This double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial was done in 16 hospitals across Australia, Japan, the UK, and the USA.

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Background: TransCon CNP (navepegritide) is an investigational prodrug of C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) designed to allow for continuous CNP exposure with once-weekly dosing. This 52-week phase 2 (ACcomplisH) trial assessed the safety and efficacy of TransCon CNP in children with achondroplasia.

Methods: ACcomplisH is a global, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation trial.

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Background: Angelman syndrome (AS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by the absence of a functional UBE3A gene, which causes developmental, behavioral, and medical challenges. While currently untreatable, comprehensive data could help identify appropriate endpoints assessing meaningful improvements in clinical trials. Herein are reported the results from the FREESIAS study assessing the feasibility and utility of in-clinic and at-home measures of key AS symptoms.

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encodes the Protein-Tyrosine Phosphatase, Receptor-Type, F Polypeptide-Interacting Protein Alpha-3 (PPFIA3), which is a member of the LAR protein-tyrosine phosphatase-interacting protein (liprin) family involved in synaptic vesicle transport and presynaptic active zone assembly. The protein structure and function are well conserved in both invertebrates and vertebrates, but human diseases related to PPFIA3 dysfunction are not yet known. Here, we report 14 individuals with rare mono-allelic variants presenting with features including developmental delay, intellectual disability, hypotonia, autism, and epilepsy.

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Purpose: Miller-Dieker syndrome is caused by a multiple gene deletion, including PAFAH1B1 and YWHAE. Although deletion of PAFAH1B1 causes lissencephaly unambiguously, deletion of YWHAE alone has not clearly been linked to a human disorder.

Methods: Cases with YWHAE variants were collected through international data sharing networks.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Eight individuals with developmental issues and rare mutations in FRMD5 showed that these mutations are mostly new (de novo) and suggest that FRMD5 variants contribute to neurological disorders.
  • * Research on the corresponding fly gene (dFrmd) revealed that loss of this gene leads to extreme sensitivity to heat and seizures, indicating that human FRMD5 mutations likely result in neurological abnormalities through similar mechanisms.
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  • - Esophageal atresia/tracheoesophageal fistula (EA/TEF) is a serious birth defect often linked with other abnormalities, but genetic testing only confirms a diagnosis in a small percentage of cases.
  • - In a study involving 67 patients, only 11 (16%) received a definitive or probable genetic diagnosis, indicating that the reasons behind EA/TEF may be more complex and involve multiple genetic and environmental factors.
  • - The research identified specific genetic variants related to certain genes (like TCF4 and FANCA) that may contribute to the EA/TEF conditions, providing new insights into its development.
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Purpose: This study was undertaken to collect baseline growth parameters in children with achondroplasia who might enroll in interventional trials of vosoritide, and to establish a historical control.

Methods: In this prospective, observational study, participants (≤17 years) underwent a detailed medical history and physical examination and were followed every 3 months until they finished participating in the study by enrolling in an interventional trial or withdrawing.

Results: A total of 363 children were enrolled (28 centers, 8 countries).

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Vacuolar-type H+-ATPase (V-ATPase) is a multimeric complex present in a variety of cellular membranes that acts as an ATP-dependent proton pump and plays a key role in pH homeostasis and intracellular signalling pathways. In humans, 22 autosomal genes encode for a redundant set of subunits allowing the composition of diverse V-ATPase complexes with specific properties and expression. Sixteen subunits have been linked to human disease.

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