Asta Literature Retrieval: Pathophysiology and clinical mechanisms of Hao-Fountain syndrome. Core disease mechanisms, molecular and cellular pat...

This report is retrieval-only and is generated directly from Asta results.

• Papers retrieved: 20
• Snippets retrieved: 20

Relevant Papers

[1] Hao‐Fountain syndrome: 32 novel patients reveal new insights into the clinical spectrum

• Authors: Moritz Claudius Wimmer, H. Brennenstuhl, Steffen Hirsch, Laura Dötsch, Samy Unser et al.
• Year: 2023
• Venue: Clinical Genetics
• URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/b1ea56aec4ea458d4d273fc69b330c3dbe7f8750
• DOI: 10.1111/cge.14480
• PMID: 38221796
• Citations: 14
• Summary: A questionnaire‐based study was performed to characterize the phenotype of Hao‐Fountain syndrome more clearly, to highlight new traits, and to better distinguish the disease from related neurodevelopmental disorders.
• Evidence snippets:
• Snippet 1 (score: 0.529) > Hao‐Fountain syndrome (HAFOUS, OMIM: #616863) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by pathogenic variants in the gene USP7 coding for USP7, a protein involved in several crucial cellular homeostatic mechanisms and the recently described MUST complex. The phenotype of HAFOUS is insufficiently understood, yet there is a great need to better understand the spectrum of disease, genotype–phenotype correlations, and disease trajectories. We now present a larger cohort of 32 additional individuals and provide further clinical information about six previously reported individuals. A questionnaire‐based study was performed to characterize the phenotype of Hao‐Fountain syndrome more clearly, to highlight new traits, and to better distinguish the disease from related neurodevelopmental disorders. In addition to confirming previously described features, we report hyperphagia and increased body weight in a subset of individuals. HAFOUS patients present an increased rate of birth complications, congenital anomalies, and abnormal pain thresholds. Speech impairment emerges as a potential hallmark of Hao‐Fountain syndrome. Cognitive testing reports reveal borderline intellectual functioning on average, although some individuals score in the range of intellectual disability. Finally, we created a syndrome‐specific severity score. This score neither indicates a sex‐ nor age‐specific difference of clinical severity, yet highlights a more severe outcome when amino acid changes colocalize to the catalytic domain of the USP7 protein.

[2] Complex Presentation of Hao-Fountain Syndrome Solved by Exome Sequencing Highlighting Co-Occurring Genomic Variants

• Authors: M. Priolo, C. Mancini, S. Pizzi, L. Chiriatti, F. Radio et al.
• Year: 2022
• Venue: Genes
• URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/8d626ee4f86837afa18d9ce0e032bcbc6718a5af
• DOI: 10.3390/genes13050889
• PMID: 35627274
• PMCID: 9141324
• Citations: 7
• Influential citations: 1
• Summary: The comprehensive dissection of the phenotype and early diagnosis of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease allowed us to manage the CFTR-related disorder symptoms and monitor renal function and other complications associated with PKD2 haploinsufficiency, addressing proper care and surveillance.
• Evidence snippets:
• Snippet 1 (score: 0.439) > Hao-Fountain syndrome is caused by de novo variants in the USP7 gene [5][6][7], which encodes a deubiquitinating enzyme of the ubiquitin-specific protease family, promoting the cleavage of multiple chain linkages [5,6,[33][34][35]. USP7 regulates the ubiquitination status of many proteins, including multiple tiers of the MDM2-p53 pathway, a cascade controlling various physiological processes, such as DNA repair, cell cycle checkpoints, transcription, immune responses, and viral replication suppression [33,34]. The spectrum of the reported pathogenic USP7 variants (eight missense, five truncating, and three splice-site variants), as well as heterozygous deletions involving USP7 in eight individuals, support haploinsufficiency as the mechanism of disease. > The main Hao-Fountain syndrome clinical features and signs are summarized in Tables 1 and 2. By reviewing the previous series and comparing them with the present case, we confirmed the presence of a recognizable disorder characterized by developmental delay/intellectual disability (24/25, 96%), speech delay (25/25, 100%), dysmorphic face (20/22, 91%), MRI anomalies (13/17, 76%), hypotonia (16/22, 72%), behavioral anomalies (15/22, 68%), gastroesophageal reflux with feeding difficulties (11/18, 61% and 13/23, 56%, respectively) and eye abnormalities/vision impairment (16/25, 64%). Additional problems, ranging from aggressive behavior, fits of rage, impulsivity, compulsivity, stubbornness, manipulative approach, anxious component, and panic attacks, depict a distinct recurring behavioral phenotype to be considered in the genetic counseling of individuals with Hao-Fountain syndrome. In the present case, the behavioral component was a major concerning problem because of the scarcity of patient compliance to therapies and pharmacological treatments, which commonly triggered temper tantrums.

[3] From molecular signatures to predictive biomarkers: modeling disease pathophysiology and drug mechanism of action

• Authors: A. Heinzel, P. Perco, G. Mayer, R. Oberbauer, A. Lukas et al.
• Year: 2014
• Venue: Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
• URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/36d6c03a528c1358c0ae5b667cca5ce73b2fbee5
• DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2014.00037
• PMID: 25364744
• PMCID: 4207010
• Citations: 23
• Summary: This work exemplifies a computational workflow for expanding from statistics-based association analysis toward deriving molecular pathway and process models for characterizing phenotypes and drug mechanism of action, in turn providing precision medicine hypotheses utilizing predictive biomarkers.
• Evidence snippets:
• Snippet 1 (score: 0.411) > In such scenario a biomarker needs to serve as proxy of key mechanistic factors characterizing and driving a disease on a patient-specific level, combined with educating on the specific interference of disease mechanism with drug mechanism of action. For capturing these constraints a detailed molecular map of a clinical phenotype and its interference with a drug mechanism of action is needed, and here integration of Omics profiling adds to identifying such mechanisms (Fechete et al., 2011;Mühlberger et al., 2012). > An a priori stratification of patients based on an appropriately chosen biomarker panel reflecting the pathophysiology of a given patient (group) allowing to determine a match with a specific drug's mechanism of action appears as promising approach. As recently discussed by Himmelfarb et al. fresh approaches are critical in finding therapies to kidney disease benefiting patients, outlining the importance of improving the translational aspect in clinical research (Himmelfarb and Tuttle, 2013). Here, omics technologies have added significantly to the data landscape characterizing chronic kidney disease, however, in a first instance mainly expanding the candidate set of apparently relevant processes and pathways, going in hand with a large number of biomarker candidates, which individually hamper clinically relevant assessment on disease progression (Fechete et al., 2011;Hellemons et al., 2012). > Integrative approaches in the realm of Systems Biology have been proposed for reaching a consensus description of chronic kidney disease pathophysiology, including molecular models of DN as well as of the reno-cardial axis (He et al., 2012;Komorowsky et al., 2012;Mayer et al., 2012;Heinzel et al., 2013). Still, a translation process needs to be followed, joining disease pathophysiology, stratification markers allowing enrichment strategies, combined with on a molecular mechanistic level matching drugs for allowing precision medicine (Mirnezami et al., 2012). In this work we exemplify such procedure on DN being the major clinical presentation leading to end stage renal disease.

[4] 18O-assisted dynamic metabolomics for individualized diagnostics and treatment of human diseases

• Authors: E. Nemutlu, Song Zhang, N. Juranic, A. Terzic, S. Macura et al.
• Year: 2012
• Venue: Croatian Medical Journal
• URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/880f053c7f060db4b990e447d0a22c4b69372ddb
• DOI: 10.3325/cmj.2012.53.529
• PMID: 23275318
• PMCID: 3541579
• Citations: 28
• Summary: The potential use of dynamic phosphometabolomic platform for disease diagnostics currently under development at Mayo Clinic is described and discussed briefly.
• Evidence snippets:
• Snippet 1 (score: 0.403) > Living cells represent an integrated and interacting network of genes, transcripts, proteins, small signaling molecules, and metabolites that define cellular phenotype and function. Traditionally the focus of biomedical research was on individual genes, single protein targets, single metabolites, and metabolic or signaling pathways. This "molecular reductionist" paradigm was based on the assumption that identifying genetic variations and molecular components would lead to discovery of cures for human diseases. However, most of diseases are complex and multi-factorial and the disease phenotype is determined by the alterations of multiple genes, pathways, proteins and metabolites (at cellular, tissue, and organismal levels). Therefore, an integrated "omics" approach is more viable direction for uncovering alterations in metabolic networks, disease mechanisms, and mechanisms of drug effects. > Recent advent of large-scale metabolomics and fluxomic (metabolite dynamics and metabolic flux analysis) completed the "omics revolution" (Figure 1), where genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and fluxomics all together complement phenotype determination of living organism. Such integrated "omics" cascades provide a framework for advances in system and network biology, integrative physiology, and system medicine as well as system pharmacology and regenerative medicine. Noteworthy is the "reverse omic" approach or "metabolomicsinformed pharmacogenomics, " where discovery of specific metabolite changes have led to discovery of genetic alterations (2). Therefore, bringing new "omics" technologies to clinical practice will improve disease diagnostics and treatment by targeting drugs and procedures for each unique transcriptomic and metabolomic profiles.

[5] Integrating Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation to Elucidate the Mechanisms of Tang Shen Ping Decoction in Diabetic Kidney Disease

• Authors: Yi Zhou, Yingjie Chen, Zirong Pan, Wan-Yu Li, Meimei Su et al.
• Year: 2025
• Venue: ACS Omega
• URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/dd7fef7156f3b1fc2098eb7401fedc6a8615407e
• DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.5c01492
• PMID: 40521559
• PMCID: 12163699
• Citations: 1
• Summary: Findings reveal that TSPD exerts renoprotective effects by targeting the CCL2/NF-κB axis, offering mechanistic insights into its anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic actions and providing a theoretical foundation for its clinical application in DKD treatment.
• Evidence snippets:
• Snippet 1 (score: 0.399) > DKD is a major complication of diabetes and a leading cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). 41 Its progression can lead to a loss of kidney function, necessitating long-term dialysis or kidney transplantation. Improving therapeutic strategies for DKD is, therefore, crucial to prevent disease progression and alleviate patient burden. TCM has demonstrated unique efficacy in treating various diseases, and TSPD has shown significant clinical efficacy in managing DKD, particularly in its early stages. However, the precise therapeutic mechanisms of TSPD have been inadequately explored. This study integrated network pharmacology, transcriptomics, and molecular docking to elucidate the multitarget mechanisms of TSPD in treating DKD. Various enrichment analyses have indicated that TSPD can significantly ameliorate the pathological processes of DKD by modulating oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. In vivo and in vitro experiments further demonstrated that TSPD exerts its therapeutic effects by inhibiting the activation of the CCL2/NF-κB signaling pathway, thereby reducing inflammation and improving DKD pathology. These findings provide an initial understanding of the mechanisms underlying the efficacy of TSPD in DKD. > TSPD therapy for DKD has been used in clinical practice for more than two decades. According to the TCM theory, the fundamental pathogenesis of DKD involves Qi and Yin deficiencies and internal stasis of dampness and turbidity. The treatment principle involves invigorating Qi, activating blood circulation, and dispelling dampness. TSPD is formulated on the basis of these principles, with the aim of simultaneously addressing the root cause and symptoms of the disease simultaneously. The formula includes Huangqi and Shudihuang to tonify the spleen and kidneys and Danshen and Chuanxiong to promote blood circulation and remove stasis. This approach aligns with the pathological characteristics of DKD, providing a theoretical foundation for the clinical application of the TSPD. > Based on modern pharmacological investigations, this study further elucidated the potential therapeutic roles of the core active compounds in TSPD and their herbal sources in the treatment of DKD.

[6] Human Dermal Fibroblast: A Promising Cellular Model to Study Biological Mechanisms of Major Depression and Antidepressant Drug Response

• Authors: P. Mesdom, R. Colle, É. Lebigot, S. Trabado, Eric Deflesselle et al.
• Year: 2020
• Venue: Current Neuropharmacology
• URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/79368e365458486de96794333613c12a6063bf54
• DOI: 10.2174/1570159X17666191021141057
• PMID: 31631822
• PMCID: 7327943
• Citations: 12
• Summary: This review highlights the great and still underused potential of HDF, which stands out as a very promising tool in the understanding of MDD and AD mechanisms of action.
• Evidence snippets:
• Snippet 1 (score: 0.391) > Background: Human dermal fibroblasts (HDF) can be used as a cellular model relatively easily and without genetic engineering. Therefore, HDF represent an interesting tool to study several human diseases including psychiatric disorders. Despite major depressive disorder (MDD) being the second cause of disability in the world, the efficacy of antidepressant drug (AD) treatment is not sufficient and the underlying mechanisms of MDD and the mechanisms of action of AD are poorly understood. Objective The aim of this review is to highlight the potential of HDF in the study of cellular mechanisms involved in MDD pathophysiology and in the action of AD response. Methods The first part is a systematic review following PRISMA guidelines on the use of HDF in MDD research. The second part reports the mechanisms and molecules both present in HDF and relevant regarding MDD pathophysiology and AD mechanisms of action. Results HDFs from MDD patients have been investigated in a relatively small number of works and most of them focused on the adrenergic pathway and metabolism-related gene expression as compared to HDF from healthy controls. The second part listed an important number of papers demonstrating the presence of many molecular processes in HDF, involved in MDD and AD mechanisms of action. Conclusion The imbalance in the number of papers between the two parts highlights the great and still underused potential of HDF, which stands out as a very promising tool in our understanding of MDD and AD mechanisms of action

[7] Changes in Serum Proteomic Profiles at Different Stages of Pregnancy Toxemia in Goats

• Authors: M. Uzti̇mür, C. N. Ünal, Gurler Akpinar
• Year: 2025
• Venue: Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine
• URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/4b9c488b5dbd65d7b26fd2ad9aed70e8c4b59942
• DOI: 10.1111/jvim.70139
• PMID: 40492724
• PMCID: 12150350
• Summary: Understanding the serum proteome profiles of goats with pregnancy toxemia might help identify the proteomes and pathways responsible for the development of this disease and improve diagnosis and treatment.
• Evidence snippets:
• Snippet 1 (score: 0.390) > The pathophysiology and progression of this disease are not fully understood. > Traditional biomedical research has focused on the analysis of single genes, proteins, metabolites, or metabolic pathways in diseases. This molecular reductionist approach is based on the assumption that identifying genetic variations and molecular components will lead to new treatments for diseases [13][14][15][16]. However, many diseases are complex and multifactorial, and in order to determine the phenotype of such diseases, it is necessary to understand the changes that occur in more than one gene, pathway, protein, or metabolite at the cellular, tissue, and organismal levels [17][18][19]. Therefore, in recent years, proteomics, as one field of multi-omics technologies, has helped in evaluating the complex pathogenetic mechanisms of different diseases from a broad perspective and has made substantial contributions [20,21]. In veterinary medicine, proteomic analysis of metabolic diseases such as ketosis [16], hypocalcemia [22], and fatty liver [23] in dairy cows has contributed valuable insights for the definition of new pathophysiological pathways and new diagnosis and treatment protocols for these diseases. The proteomic approach can contribute importantly to a broad and detailed understanding of the changes that occur at the organismal level associated with the increase in BHBA concentration in goats with pregnancy toxemia. Our aim was to evaluate the serum protein profiles of goats with SPT or CPT using proteomic techniques to determine the proteomic profiles of these animals and to identify the relevant pathophysiological mechanisms.

[8] New therapeutic targets in rare genetic skeletal diseases

• Authors: M. Briggs, Peter A. Bell, M. Wright, K. A. Pirog
• Year: 2015
• Venue: Expert Opinion on Orphan Drugs
• URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/1363107f71ae6d2d60abca471cddf3da5d13644b
• DOI: 10.1517/21678707.2015.1083853
• PMID: 26635999
• PMCID: 4643203
• Citations: 37
• Influential citations: 1
• Summary: An overview of disease mechanisms that are shared amongst groups of different GSDs and potential therapeutic approaches that are under investigation are described to generate critical mass for the identification and validation of novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers.
• Evidence snippets:
• Snippet 1 (score: 0.390) > proteins of the cartilage ECM such as type II collagen [50]. However, emerging knowledge suggests that the primary genetic defect may be less important than the cells' response to the expression of the mutant gene product [107]. Moreover, the largely overlooked response of a cell (i.e. chondrocyte) to the abnormal extracellular environment is also important for disease progression as illustrated by several GSDs discussed in this review. > It is important that 'omics'-based approaches and technologies are systematically applied to the study of rare GSDs so that definitive reference profiles and disease signatures are generated for each phenotype. These can then be used in a Systems Biology approach to identify both common and dissimilar pathological signatures and disease mechanisms. This approach is entirely dependent upon relevant in vitro and in vivo models (and also novel 'disease-mechanism phenocopies' [107]) for testing new diagnostic and prognostic tools and for determining the molecular mechanisms that underpin the pathophysiology so that effective therapeutic treatments can be developed and validated. This approach will eventually lead to personalized treatments and care strategies centred on shared disease mechanisms with the use of relevant biomarkers to monitor the efficacy of treatment and disease progression. > It is vital that all relevant stakeholders are involved from the outset in defining the appropriate outcomes of any potential therapeutic regime. The perceptions of a successful therapy can differ widely between the clinical academic community and the relevant patient-support groups and it is vital that there is engagement on all these issues. > In summary, the identification of causative genes and mutations for GSDs over the last 20 years, coupled with the generation and in-depth analysis of a plethora of relevant cell and mouse models, has derived new knowledge on disease mechanisms and suggested potential therapeutic targets. The fast-evolving hypothesis that clinically disparate diseases can share common disease mechanisms is a powerful concept that will generate critical mass for the identification and validation of novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers.

[9] Heat Shock Proteins in Oxidative Stress and Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury and Benefits from Physical Exercises: A Review to the Current Knowledge

• Authors: Jakub Szyller, I. Bil-Lula
• Year: 2021
• Venue: Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity
• URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/4ec4bee9f1b89cdf5a3c513d847990f3cfc18bb8
• DOI: 10.1155/2021/6678457
• PMID: 33603951
• PMCID: 7868165
• Citations: 112
• Influential citations: 2
• Summary: The latest research focuses on determining the role of H SPs in OS, their antioxidant activity, and the possibility of using HSPs in the treatment of I/R consequences, where reactive oxygen species play a major role.
• Evidence snippets:
• Snippet 1 (score: 0.387) > Heat shock proteins play a cytoprotective role under pathological conditions such as cardiovascular diseases. The knowledge about cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying ROS-mediated modulation of HSP expression can help to better understand the pathophysiology of OS, which is associated with the development of many diseases (cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, etc.). I/R injury is considered a major contributor to tissue damage in multiple clinical situations such as myocardial infarction, stroke, and organ transplantation. Oxidative damage is a key factor in the initiation of I/R. HSP expression is highly sensitive to I/R injury. > Understanding the exact mechanisms of HSP and the structure of the protein interaction network can help to better understand the pathophysiology and treatment of many diseases, as well as to develop new drugs. There is a need to understand the relationship between cell pathways-signaling, metabolism, etc. The relationships between HSP and OS discussed in this work seem to be very complicated and not yet fully understood. Data showed that modulation of HSP expression in reperfusion injuries may result in better treatment of myocardial infarction. This can also help to prepare organs for the transplantation.

[10] Therapies for Mitochondrial Disease: Past, Present, and Future

• Authors: Megan Ball, Nicole J. Van Bergen, A. Compton, David R Thorburn, S. Rahman et al.
• Year: 2025
• Venue: Journal of Inherited Metabolic Disease
• URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/196ee50a950f29bc4134cfb8fe6bdfa9a3a1468b
• DOI: 10.1002/jimd.70065
• PMID: 40714961
• PMCID: 12301291
• Citations: 3
• Summary: The latest developments in the pursuit to identify effective treatments for mitochondrial disease are examined and the barriers impeding their success in translation to clinical practice are discussed.
• Evidence snippets:
• Snippet 1 (score: 0.386) > Mitochondrial disease is a diverse group of clinically and genetically complex disorders caused by pathogenic variants in nuclear or mitochondrial DNA‐encoded genes that disrupt mitochondrial energy production or other important mitochondrial pathways. Mitochondrial disease can present with a wide spectrum of clinical features and can often be difficult to recognize. These conditions can be devastating; however, for the majority, there is no targeted treatment. In the last 60 years, mitochondrial medicine has experienced significant evolution, moving from the pre‐molecular era to the Age of Genomics in which considerable gene discovery and advancement in our understanding of the pathophysiology of mitochondrial disease have been made. In the last decade, in response to the urgent need for effective treatments, a wide range of emerging therapies have been developed, driven by innovative approaches addressing both the genetic and cellular mechanisms underpinning the diseases. Emerging therapies include dietary intervention, small molecule therapies aimed to restore mitochondrial function, stem cell or liver transplantation, and gene or RNA‐based therapies. However, despite these advances, translation to clinical practice is complicated by the sheer genetic and clinical complexity of mitochondrial disease, difficulty in efficient and precise delivery of therapies to affected tissues, rarity of individual genetic conditions, lack of reliable biomarkers and clinically relevant outcome measures, and the dearth of natural history data. This review examines the latest developments in the pursuit to identify effective treatments for mitochondrial disease and discusses the barriers impeding their success in translation to clinical practice. While treatment for mitochondrial disease may be on the horizon, many challenges must be addressed before it can become a reality.

[11] Identification of the Mechanism of Matrine Combined with Glycyrrhizin for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment through Network Pharmacology and Bioinformatics Analysis

• Authors: Tao Han, Yiming Liu, Yutong Chen, Tingsong Chen, Yifan Li et al.
• Year: 2022
• Venue: Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity
• URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/a94930326340a5c93906e16dd6f2be269e603a7d
• DOI: 10.1155/2022/2663758
• PMID: 36193082
• PMCID: 9526635
• Citations: 11
• Influential citations: 1
• Summary: The prognostic model was correlated with the immune cells and immune checkpoints of patients, which had an adjuvant effect on HCC immunotherapy and investigated the correlation of the immune response.
• Evidence snippets:
• Snippet 1 (score: 0.385) > treatment with BSJPD mostly involved tumor apoptosis and growth, such as the PI3K-Akt-mTOR, p53, TNF, and VEGF pathways [7,8]. Overall, this work proves that BSJPD can prolong the survival of patients with liver cancer and promote hepatoma cell apoptosis, which is associated with its modulation of the PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway and the p53, CASP3, and Bcl-xL/BAD proteins. These effects may be partly derived from licochalcone A, alisol B, and hederagenin, which are the 3 major compounds in the network pharmacology prediction. > Network pharmacology is the next paradigm in drug discovery [9]. The dominant paradigm in drug discovery is the concept of designing maximally selective ligands to act on individual drug targets. However, many effective drugs act via modulation of multiple proteins rather than single targets. Advances in systems biology are revealing a phenotypic robustness and network structure that strongly suggests that exquisitely selective compounds, compared with multitarget drugs, may exhibit lower than desired clinical efficacy [10][11][12]. This new appreciation of the role of polypharmacology has significant implications for tackling the two major sources of attrition in drug development-efficacy and toxicity. Integrating network biology and polypharmacology holds the promise of expanding the current opportunity space for druggable targets [11,13,14]. > CHM, an ancient treatment methodology popular in China and surrounding areas, has been recognized as a pharmaceutical area of TCM and holds promise for preventing diseases in a holistic way [15,16]. It has been used in clinical practice for a long period, and it is known for its effectiveness and beneficial contribution to public health and disease control. However, the pharmacological mechanisms of CHM have not been fully established. With increasing knowledge of the network of genes and molecular interactions, researchers have adopted network pharmacology for their drug research and development. > Building a CHM database is critical for a network pharmacology study [17]. The TCMGeneDIT database mainly focuses on TCM-related gene and disease information [18]. The TCM Database@Taiwan is applied to CH

[12] Network Based Integrated Analysis of Phenotype-Genotype Data for Prioritization of Candidate Symptom Genes

• Authors: Xing Li, Xuezhong Zhou, Yonghong Peng, Baoyan Liu, Runshun Zhang et al.
• Year: 2014
• Venue: BioMed Research International
• URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/c7596cd5f26d3c88666ffc5e4ab658efea644c4b
• DOI: 10.1155/2014/435853
• PMID: 24991551
• PMCID: 4060751
• Citations: 13
• Summary: A network-based approach for the integrated analysis of multiple phenotype-genotype data sources and the prediction of the prioritizing genes for the associated symptoms provided an effective approach to identify candidate genes of symptoms.
• Evidence snippets:
• Snippet 1 (score: 0.385) > Using network-based approaches to gain insights into human disease has found multiple potential biological and clinical applications [13]. Further understanding of the effects of cellular interconnectedness on disease progression leads to the identification of disease biomarker genes and the pathways causing the associated diseases [14], which, in turn, offer effective targets for new drug development. Many human genetic diseases are caused by multiple genes. For genes that are associated with the same or similar phenotypes, the genes are likely to be functionally related. Such relations can be exploited to aid in searching for novel disease genes. Computational approaches have recently been proposed to predict associations between genes and diseases [15][16][17]. Vanunu et al. developed a network-based approach, which is known as PRINCE algorithm, for predicting causal genes and protein complexes involved in a disease of interest [18]. The availability of large-scale data of phenotype-genotype associations like OMIM, CTD [19], and PharmGKB [20] provides valuable resources for studying disease-gene associations. > Recently increasing interest on the study of molecular mechanism of symptoms was found. The underlying molecular mechanisms of several symptoms, such as depression, pain, and high blood pressure, have been discussed previously [21][22][23]. However, no work has been done to investigate systematically the mechanism of symptoms in the literature. Until recently, Zhou et al. used large-scale biomedical literature database to construct a symptom-based human disease network and investigate the associations between clinical manifestations of diseases and the underlying molecular interactions [24]. Their results showed that symptom-based similarity of diseases correlates strongly with the number of shared genetic associations and the extent to which their associated proteins interact. This indicates that symptoms would have their underlying molecular mechanisms needed to be further explored. In this paper, we attempt to develop a new data mining framework to explore the relationships between symptoms and genes, which may provide scientific evidences to traditional Chinese medicine in individualized diagnosis and treatment because symptoms are the main clinical manifestations captured by TCM physicians for both diagnosis and treatment.

[13] Transcriptional profiling of Hutchinson-Gilford progeria patients identifies primary target pathways of progerin

• Authors: Sandra Vidak, Sohyoung Kim, Tom Misteli
• Year: 2026
• Venue: Nucleus
• URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/4bd99b0875508364d8672b6da5a50d024d485a53
• DOI: 10.1080/19491034.2025.2611484
• PMID: 41489464
• PMCID: 12773485
• Summary: To probe the clinical relevance of previously implicated cellular pathways and to address the extent of gene expression heterogeneity between patients, transcriptomic analysis of a comprehensive set of HGPS patients finds misexpression of several cellular pathways, including multiple signaling pathways, the UPR and mesodermal cell fate specification.
• Evidence snippets:
• Snippet 1 (score: 0.383) > Oxidative stress represents another key pathogenic mechanism in HGPS, as impaired NRF2 activity or increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels are sufficient to recapitulate HGPSassociated phenotypes [17,32,60]. Collectively, these findings underscore the multifactorial nature of HGPS pathogenesis, implicating interconnected signaling cascades involved in inflammation, oxidative stress, proteostasis, and vascular remodeling. Reassuringly, our findings indicate that many of the major pathways that have been described to contribute to HGPS phenotypes in mouse and cellular disease models are also misregulated in progeria patients, and targeting these pathways may provide therapeutic avenues to mitigate disease severity and improve outcomes in HGPS. > Although individuals with HGPS typically exhibit a characteristic set of clinical features, such as craniofacial abnormalities, growth retardation, and cardiovascular complications, there is notable variability in the age of onset, severity, and progression of symptoms between patients [7,9]. At the cellular level, HGPS is associated with several hallmark abnormalities, including nuclear envelope defects, decreased expression of several nuclear proteins and epigenetic marks, mitochondrial dysfunction, and increased cellular senescence [1,11,30,31,61]. These cellular phenotypes also exhibit considerable variation between patients, possibly contributing to differences in clinical outcomes. Our results indicate that even though some degree of transcriptional heterogeneity between the individual patients exists, the majority of patients exhibit misregulation of a set of shared pathways, suggesting that these pathways are universal driver mechanisms in HGPS. Further work is needed to understand the molecular and genetic factors that underlie inter-individual variability in disease expression and progression. > A limitation of pathway analysis of HGPS patient samples is to distinguish the pathways which are directly targeted by the disease-causing progerin protein and the emergence of adaptive secondary response pathways during progression of the disease in patients during their lifetime. The same caveat applies to the use of cell-based models used in the study of HGPS disease mechanisms.

[14] Renal ciliopathies: promising drug targets and prospects for clinical trials

• Authors: L. Devlin, Praveen Dhondurao Sudhindar, J. Sayer
• Year: 2023
• Venue: Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Targets
• URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/ab2155b6e12caba53d57ac0e8ce28860d69ec9fd
• DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2023.2218616
• PMID: 37243567
• Citations: 10
• Summary: The advances in basic science and clinical research into renal ciliopathies which have yielded promising small compounds and drug targets are reviewed, within both preclinical studies and clinical trials.
• Evidence snippets:
• Snippet 1 (score: 0.382) > Although renal ciliopathies can be classified into distinct syndromes, causative mutations in genes encoding proteins involved in the primary cilium or centrosome mean they may share overlapping mechanisms of disease, which may be amenable for therapeutic intervention (Figure 2). Abnormal functioning of proteins involved in ciliogenesis, such as CEP164, can prevent proper cilia formation, which will effect a myriad of downstream ciliary signaling pathways. Additionally, mutations in genes encoding for proteins involved in cargo trafficking or regulation, such as CEP290, will have implications for signal pathway transduction, as well as mutations in components of signaling pathways themselves, such as PKD1. In regard to renal ciliopathies, abnormalities in signaling pathways such as cAMP, Shh, Wnt, mTOR, and AMPK, likely cause misoriented cellular divisions, increased proliferation, increased fluid secretion and subsequent cystogenesis, consequently leading to further kidney damage. Ciliary and centriolar proteins which have roles in DDR and cell cycle regulation may also be driving a renal cystogenesis phenotype alongside increased fibrosis and apoptosis. Increased inflammation and dysfunctional mitochondria are also byproducts of dysregulated signaling pathways have been shown to contribute to the progression of renal ciliopathies. Extensive reviews of mechanisms of renal ciliopathy diseases have recently been performed [23,24]. Importantly, due to the wide range of cellular processes that primary cilia regulate, it is likely that in each syndrome there are multiple pathogenic drivers of disease. In some ways, this is advantageous as it offers many points for potential therapeutic targets. However, the cross talk between pathways and feedback loops introduces complications of changing one pathway without negatively affecting another. Further challenges arise with core biological pathways, such as Shh signaling, in which modification in vitro may be beneficial, but systemic treatment is unrealistic due to the expected severe side effects [18,24,116].

[15] Baseline urinary metabolites predict albuminuria response to spironolactone in type 2 diabetes.

• Authors: S. Mulder, P. Perco, C. Oxlund, Uzma F Mehdi, T. Hankemeier et al.
• Year: 2020
• Venue: Translational research : the journal of laboratory and clinical medicine
• URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/e5f7ffaa67fba1fe09d82c2d3787ad398d175bb6
• DOI: 10.1016/j.trsl.2020.04.010
• PMID: 32438071
• Citations: 9
• Summary: The data suggest that urinary metabolites may be used as a tool to tailor optimal therapy and move in the direction of personalized medicine.
• Evidence snippets:
• Snippet 1 (score: 0.379) > In-silico modeling of spironolactone mechanism of action and DKD pathophysiology. Network-based molecular models reflecting spironolactone mechanism of action as well as DKD pathophysiology were generated following previously described and successfully applied computational workflows. 8,9 In brief, molecular features associated with spironolactone were consolidated from 3 data sources, namely scientific literature, DrugBank, and a transcriptomics data set from DrugMatrix. Molecular features were defined as genes, transcripts, or proteins. Scientific articles annotated with spironolactone as major MeSH term were retrieved and genes were extracted using NCBI's gene2pubmed file. This set of genes was complemented by drug targets listed in DrugBank for spironolactone. 10 We further extracted transcripts being differentially expressed between spironolactone-treated and untreated kidney samples of animal models as stored in DrugMatrix. 11 The unique set of spironolactone associated molecular features was mapped onto a hybrid interaction network including protein-protein interaction data from IntAct, BioGrid, and Reactome together with computationally inferred relations. 12 Interactions between members of the spironolactone feature set were extracted and the MCODE algorithm was used to identify clusters of highly interconnected proteins. 13 A previously published DKD molecular model was used which was constructed following the same logic using data from scientific literature as well as from Omics datasets in the context of DKD. 7 Proteomics data of the published CKD273 proteomics classifier were used in order to identify DKD processes linked with DKD progression by mapping the set of proteins in the CKD273 classifier onto the DKD molecular network thus defining progression-associated process units. 14 Network interference analysis and identification of candidate metabolites. Network alignment method was used to identify DKD molecular processes linked to DKD prognosis affected by spironolactone treatment on the molecular level. Metabolites linked to proteins in affected DKD molecular processes were identified via enzyme-metabolite associations as stored in the Human Metabolome Database and forwarded to measurements in clinical samples. 15 A

[16] Rare Monogenic Diseases: Molecular Pathophysiology and Novel Therapies

• Authors: I. Condò
• Year: 2022
• Venue: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/6aece75e6947f102b657851b74e8b96df5e654c1
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms23126525
• PMID: 35742964
• PMCID: 9223693
• Citations: 15
• Influential citations: 2
• Summary: A rare disease is defined by its low prevalence in the general population and its presence in a very small number of people.
• Evidence snippets:
• Snippet 1 (score: 0.377) > The selective expression or the particular role of specific genes in a single tissue explains the appearance of organ-specific inherited diseases. This is the case of genetic disorders of the kidney, which include dominant and recessive forms of cystic diseases, and renal tubulopathies. Mutations in polycystin-1 (PKD1) or -2 (PKD2) genes lead to autosomaldominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), whose gender-dependent phenotype was analyzed in the study by Talbi et al. [9]. These results, obtained in mice lacking PKD1 expression, show the involvement of intracellular Ca2+ levels in the more severe phenotype affecting male ADPKD animals. Altogether, identification of the molecular mechanisms underlying enhanced Ca2+ signaling and proliferation in cells from male kidneys may contribute to develop novel therapeutics for ADPKD [9]. The autosomal-recessive form of polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) mostly arises from defects in the gene named polycystic kidney and hepatic disease 1 (PKHD1), whereas a minority of cases is linked to a second causative gene DZIP1L. To examine the still unclear molecular pathophysiology of ARPKD, Cordido et al. recapitulate known molecular disease mechanisms and possible therapeutic approaches, from cellular and animal models to clinical trials [10]. The knowledge of ARPKD pathogenic pathways, involving the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) axis, the production of adenylyl cyclase adenosine 3 ,5 -cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) and the activation of several protein kinases, begins to stimulate possible pharmacological interventions [10]. Inherited loss of function in various electrolyte transport proteins located along the nephron leads to two types of kidney tubulopathy with overlapping clinical symptoms: Gitelman and Bartter syndromes. The review by Nuñez-Gonzalez et al. aims to explain the different molecular basis of these difficult to diagnose monogenic syndromes. Moreover, the authors provide an overview of current therapeutic approaches and highlight the presence of common and specific options for Gitelman and Bartter patients [11].

[17] Computational drug discovery approaches identify mebendazole as a candidate treatment for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease

• Authors: P. Brownjohn, A. Zoufir, Daniel J O’Donovan, Saatviga Sudhahar, A. Syme et al.
• Year: 2024
• Venue: Frontiers in Pharmacology
• URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/a595e78572ca02b8cb2897bfc4a989a2b021b279
• DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1397864
• PMID: 38846086
• PMCID: 11154008
• Citations: 3
• Summary: It is determined that the anthelmintic mebendazole was a potent anti-cystic agent in human cellular and in vivo models of ADPKD, and is likely acting through the inhibition of microtubule polymerisation and protein kinase activity.
• Evidence snippets:
• Snippet 1 (score: 0.375) > Targets and molecules were ultimately filtered for validation based on biological and chemical insights, and the potential for clinical translation.Earlier this year, Wilk et al., 2023 applied a similar transcriptomic approach to us, in that case making use of publicly available transcriptomic datasets to create Pkd2-specific ADPKD disease signatures, from which signature reversion was sought from the Library of Integrated Network-based Cellular Signatures (LINCs) drug signature database in order to identify drug repurposing candidates.While one group has previously made use of a knowledge graph-based approach to prioritise preclinically active compounds with the highest chance of clinical translation (Malas et al., 2019), to our knowledge, the current study provides the first combined application of transcriptomic and machine-learning approaches to identify and prioritise putative treatments for ADPKD, and further deconvolute potential mechanisms of action for experimental validation. > In summary we report, using computational, in vitro and in vivo approaches, that the anthelmintic drug mebendazole ameliorates disease-relevant phenotypes in cellular and animal models of ADPKD.We further show that this effect is likely primarily due to the inhibitory effect of mebendazole on the polymerisation of microtubules, which underlie cellular processes important in ADPKD, including cell proliferation, transport, and cilia signalling, and extends previous work linking the importance of the microtubule network to ADPKD pathophysiology.We also describe the inhibitory profile of mebendazole on known and novel protein kinase targets, some of which have previously been implicated in ADPKD, suggesting mebendazole may be acting via polypharmacology to impact disease mechanisms.We acknowledge that further experimental efforts will be required to confirm the actions of mebendazole on these putative targets in relevant disease model systems.It would be particularly informative to investigate these mechanisms in dedicated in vivo studies, where the effects of mebendazole on a wider range of ADPKD-relevant cell types and phenotypes could be evaluated.

[18] Valosin-Containing Protein (VCP): A Review of Its Diverse Molecular Functions and Clinical Phenotypes

• Authors: Carly S. Pontifex, Mashiat Zaman, R. Fanganiello, T. Shutt, G. Pfeffer
• Year: 2024
• Venue: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/a0717d977acc61d9c08343d1ac6aed94c33f2138
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115633
• PMID: 38891822
• PMCID: 11172259
• Citations: 14
• Summary: In this review we examine the functionally diverse ATPase associated with various cellular activities (AAA-ATPase), valosin-containing protein (VCP/p97), its molecular functions, the mutational landscape of VCP and the phenotypic manifestation of VCP disease. VCP is crucial to a multitude of cellular functions including protein quality control, endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD), autophagy, mitophagy, lysophagy, stress granule formation and clearance, DNA replication and mito...
• Evidence snippets:
• Snippet 1 (score: 0.371) > Although the major roles of VCP in protein quality control are presumed to be the major mechanisms implicated in MSP, the incredible functional diversity and pleiotropic effects of VCP also imply that other mechanisms may be relevant and require further study.VCP cooperates with the 26S proteasome, the main pathway for protein degradation, to manage the protein quality control system.In the nucleus, VCP regulates cell cycle control and the DNA damage response by coordinating proteins at DNA damage sites.In the cytosol, VCP regulates responses to cellular stress by forming and clearing stress granules, facilitating ERAD, autophagy, mitophagy and lysophagy, and VCP may also be involved in apoptosis.The complexity of VCP's diverse molecular functions is also mirrored by the variability in clinical dysfunction caused by pathogenic variants in VCP.The relationship between specific molecular functions of VCP and the spectrum of clinical presentations remains poorly understood, and, in general, genotype-phenotype correlation is still difficult to demonstrate.Certainly, VCP plays many yet-to-be-identified roles in different cellular systems.Given that the role of VCP extends to so many cellular systems, it makes it difficult to ascertain which dysfunction leads to which clinical phenotype.The majority of MSP cases are related to variants at positions 155 and 159, but the phenotypic variability is extensive, suggesting that other genetic or epigenetic factors and/or environmental factors may interact.To better narrow down a causative mechanism in a given tissue, we advise that, when possible, experiments should include one or two other MSP genes such as SQSTM1 or HNRNPA2B1, as this may help identify common mechanisms of dysfunction in MSP.Studies of large cohorts of patients who have common variants in VCP may allow for the identification of genetic modifiers or other factors that contribute to phenotypic variability.Even though pathogenic variants in VCP typically lead to multisystem disease, in general, the affected systems predictably include certain tissue types (primarily skeletal muscle, the cerebrum, motor neurons and osteoclasts).Even though VCP is ubiquitously expressed and participates in numerous crucial cellular functions, pan-systemic disease is not observed.

[19] Investigating the role of NPR1 in dilated cardiomyopathy and its potential as a therapeutic target for glucocorticoid therapy

• Authors: Yaomeng Huang, Tongxin Li, Shichao Gao, Shuyu Li, Xiaoran Zhu et al.
• Year: 2023
• Venue: Frontiers in Pharmacology
• URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/be229f6f2059faab4c97ec0a04bd055adab9dfe1
• DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1290253
• PMID: 38026943
• PMCID: 10662320
• Citations: 3
• Summary: Natriuretic peptide receptor 1 (NPR1) was identified as a core gene associated with DCM through bioinformatics analysis and led to substantial improvements in cardiac and renal function, accompanied by an upregulation of NPR1 expression.
• Evidence snippets:
• Snippet 1 (score: 0.371) > Multiple pathways and molecules are involved in this process; however, the detailed underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In recent years, with the development of high-throughput sequencing and gene chip technologies, the use of bioinformatics technology to explore the occurrence, development, and prognosis of diseases has become a hot topic for scholars worldwide (Hwang et al., 2018;Nayor et al., 2019;Rinschen et al., 2019;Sturm et al., 2019;Montaner et al., 2020). > The present study aimed to use bioinformatics technology to screen for DCM-related genes and investigate their mechanisms, with the purpose of revealing the pathogenesis of DCM and seeking treatment methods. The GSE3586 dataset, containing expression profiles related to DCM, was selected from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. This study aimed to predict the core genes that may play crucial roles in disease progression at the molecular level through the enrichment of relevant molecular pathways associated with DCM. Furthermore, the phenotype of the core genes was validated to further support the results of the bioinformatics analysis through basic and clinical experiments. Additionally, the role of glucocorticoids in DCM treatment is discussed in this article with the purpose of providing a theoretical and experimental basis for exploring the pathogenesis of DCM and elucidating therapeutic methods. This study also provides a theoretical reference for the interpretation, early diagnosis, and treatment of DCM.

[20] Molecular insights into the premature aging disease progeria

• Authors: Sandra Vidak, R. Foisner
• Year: 2016
• Venue: Histochemistry and Cell Biology
• URL: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/60fb3b46bb7e42d5d08cc3b7cbc783b118300c31
• DOI: 10.1007/s00418-016-1411-1
• PMID: 26847180
• PMCID: 4796323
• Citations: 105
• Influential citations: 3
• Summary: Changes in mechanosignaling, altered chromatin organization and impaired genome stability, and changes in signaling pathways, leading to impaired regulation of adult stem cells, defective extracellular matrix production and premature cell senescence are discussed.
• Evidence snippets:
• Snippet 1 (score: 0.368) > The number of molecular biological studies aiming at the identification of lamin-mediated molecular disease mechanisms involved in HGPS increased tremendously following the surprising discovery that LMNA is causally linked to the premature aging disease HGPS in 2003. Despite numerous cellular pathways that were identified to be affected by the expression of the mutant lamin A protein (Fig. 2), the mechanistic details behind these effects are still unclear in most cases. Knowledge based on what was already known on lamin biology before the protein was linked to HGPS and findings on novel roles of lamins in diverse pathways in recent years allowed the launch of translational studies and the efficient search for drug targets and therapeutic approaches within a short time period. The results of the first clinical trials taught us that some improvements of the disease phenotypes can be achieved by FTI treatment, but they also made clear that we need a much better understanding of the underlying disease mechanisms to be able to tackle specific aspects of the disease in a more focused approach. It will also be important to elucidate which of the numerous pathways found to be impaired in HGPS are most relevant for and causally involved in the pathologies, and which ones are just bystanders.

Notes

• This provider combines search_papers_by_relevance with snippet_search.
• No synthesis or second-stage model call is performed.