Publications by authors named "Giancarlo Parenti"

Background: Mucopolysaccharidosis type VI (MPS VI) is due to a deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme arylsulfatase B (ARSB) that results in multi-organ accumulation of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Limitations of current treatments prompted the development of a liver-directed gene therapy clinical trial for MPS VI.

Methods: We report the long-term follow-up of patients with MPS VI who discontinued enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) and received a single intravenous infusion of high-dose (6 × 10 genome copies/kg) recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype 8 (AAV8) vector expressing ARSB under the control of a liver-specific promoter (ClinicalTrials.

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Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) is the only approved disease-modifying treatment modality for Pompe disease, a rare, inherited metabolic disorder caused by a deficiency in the acid -glucosidase (GAA) enzyme that catabolizes lysosomal glycogen. First-generation recombinant human GAA (rhGAA) ERT (alglucosidase alfa) can slow the progressive muscle degeneration characteristic of the disease. Still, most patients experience diminished efficacy over time, possibly because of poor uptake into target tissues.

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Article Synopsis
  • Clinical pathway recommendations (CPR) provide guidance on managing specific diagnoses, in this case, Pompe disease, a metabolic disorder caused by a deficiency in a specific enzyme.
  • The CPR document was created by a working group from MetabERN, which focuses on metabolic diseases, and involved systematic literature searches and quality assessments based on established methodologies.
  • This document aims to standardize care for Pompe disease patients by addressing various aspects including pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up strategies for healthcare providers.
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Glycogen storage disease type Ia (GSDIa) is a rare, inherited glucose-6-phosphatase-α (G6Pase-α) deficiency-induced carbohydrate metabolism disorder. Although hyperlipidemia is a hallmark of GSDI, the extent of lipid metabolism disruption remains incompletely understood. Lipidomic analysis was performed to characterize the serum lipidome in patients with GSDIa, by including age- and sex-matched healthy controls and age-matched hypercholesterolemic controls.

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Introduction: Ataxia telangiectasia (AT) is a rare disorder characterized by neurodegeneration, combined immunodeficiency, a predisposition to malignancies, and high clinical variability. Profiling of microRNAs (miRNAs) may offer insights into the underlying mechanisms of complex rare human diseases, as miRNAs play a role in various biological functions including proliferation, differentiation, and DNA repair. In this study, we investigate the differential expression of miRNAs in samples from AT patients to identify miRNA patterns and analyze how these patterns are related to the disease.

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Article Synopsis
  • 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase deficiency (3MCCD) is a genetic disorder affecting leucine metabolism, often diagnosed via newborn screening, showing high levels of specific metabolites in blood and urine.
  • Most diagnosed children are asymptomatic, with limited data on adult cases, and only 39 confirmed adult cases have been documented, primarily in mothers.
  • A unique case of a 36-year-old asymptomatic man diagnosed after his son's newborn screening highlights the need for more research on 3MCCD to better understand its clinical implications and improve screening practices.
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Article Synopsis
  • Two new enzyme replacement therapies for late-onset Pompe disease received approval from the European Medicines Agency between 2022 and 2023, prompting an update to treatment guidelines by the European Pompe Consortium (EPOC).
  • The EPOC, consisting of 25 experts from eight countries, developed a consensus on when to start, switch, or stop ERT based on in-person meetings and discussions.
  • Recommendations emphasize starting ERT in symptomatic patients, criteria for switching treatments based on muscle function stabilization, and the option of stopping ERT if there are severe reactions or lack of improvement, with regular assessments every six months to monitor progress.
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Lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) are multisystemic progressive disorders caused by defects in proteins involved in lysosomal function. Different gene therapy strategies are under clinical investigation in several LSDs to overcome the limitations of available treatments. However, LSDs are slowly progressive diseases that require long-term studies to establish the efficacy of experimental treatments.

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Hepatic glycogen storage diseases constitute a group of disorders due to defects in the enzymes and transporters involved in glycogen breakdown and synthesis in the liver. Although hypoglycemia and hepatomegaly are the primary manifestations of (most of) hepatic GSDs, involvement of the endocrine system has been reported at multiple levels in individuals with hepatic GSDs. While some endocrine abnormalities (e.

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Background: Food allergy (FA) is one of the most common chronic conditions in children with an increasing prevalence facilitated by the exposure to environmental factors in predisposed individuals. It has been hypothesized that the increased consumption of ultra-processed foods, containing high levels of dietary advanced glycation end products (AGEs), could facilitate the occurrence of FA.

Objective: We sought to provide preclinical and clinical evidence on the potential role of AGEs in facilitating the occurrence of FA.

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The Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 acts as an enterotoxin able to induce chloride secretion and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), involved in diarrhea pathogenesis. (LGG) is recommended in pediatric acute gastroenteritis guidelines as a therapy independent of infectious etiology. We tested a postbiotic preparation of LGG (mLGG) in an in vitro model of COVID-associated diarrhea.

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Batten disease, one of the most devastating types of neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorders, is caused by mutations in CLN3. Here, we show that CLN3 is a vesicular trafficking hub connecting the Golgi and lysosome compartments. Proteomic analysis reveals that CLN3 interacts with several endo-lysosomal trafficking proteins, including the cation-independent mannose 6 phosphate receptor (CI-M6PR), which coordinates the targeting of lysosomal enzymes to lysosomes.

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Background: Glycogen storage disease type Ia (GSDIa) is an inborn metabolic disorder caused by the deficiency of glucose-6-phospatase-α (G6Pase-α) leading to mitochondrial dysfunction. It remains unclear whether mitochondrial dysfunction is present in patients' peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and whether dietary treatment can play a role. The aim of this study was to investigate mitochondrial function in PBMC of GSDIa patients.

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Background: the deficiency of 5,10-Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) constitutes a rare and severe metabolic disease and is included in most expanded newborn screening (NBS) programs worldwide. Patients with severe MTHFR deficiency develop neurological disorders and premature vascular disease. Timely diagnosis through NBS allows early treatment, resulting in improved outcomes.

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Heterozygous mutations in the gene encoding RagD GTPase were shown to cause a novel autosomal dominant condition characterized by kidney tubulopathy and cardiomyopathy. We previously demonstrated that RagD, and its paralogue RagC, mediate a non-canonical mTORC1 signaling pathway that inhibits the activity of TFEB and TFE3, transcription factors of the MiT/TFE family and master regulators of lysosomal biogenesis and autophagy. Here we show that RagD mutations causing kidney tubulopathy and cardiomyopathy are "auto- activating", even in the absence of Folliculin, the GAP responsible for RagC/D activation, and cause constitutive phosphorylation of TFEB and TFE3 by mTORC1, without affecting the phosphorylation of "canonical" mTORC1 substrates, such as S6K.

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Introduction: Short/branched-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (SBCADD) is an inherited disorder of L-isoleucine metabolism due to mutations in the gene. The role of current diagnostic biomarkers [i.e.

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Newborn screening (NBS) for inborn errors of metabolism is one of the most advanced tools for secondary prevention in medicine, as it allows early diagnosis and prompt treatment initiation. The expanded newborn screening was introduced in Italy between 2016 and 2017 (Law 167/2016; DM 13 October 2016; DPCM 12-1-2017). A total of 1,586,578 infants born in Italy were screened between January 2017 and December 2020.

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Galactosemia is an inborn disorder of carbohydrate metabolism characterized by the inability to metabolize galactose, a sugar contained in milk (the main source of nourishment for infants), and convert it into glucose, the sugar used by the body as the primary source of energy. Galactosemia is an autosomal recessive genetic disease that can be diagnosed at birth, even in the absence of symptoms, with newborn screening by assessing the level of galactose and the GALT enzyme activity, as GALT defect constitutes the most frequent cause of galactosemia. Currently, galactosemia cannot be cured, but only treated by means of a diet with a reduced content of galactose and lactose.

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Context: Although previous research has shown the benefit of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) for hepatic glycogen storage diseases (GSDs), current lack of prospectively collected CGM metrics and glycemic targets for CGM-derived outcomes in the hepatic GSD population limits its use.

Objective: To assess CGM metrics for glycemic variation and glycemic control in adult patients with GSDIa as compared to matched healthy volunteers.

Design: Prospective CGM data were collected during the ENGLUPRO GSDIa trial (NCT04311307) in which a Dexcom G6 device was used.

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BACKGROUND: Mucopolysaccharidosis type VI (MPS VI) is an inherited multisystem lysosomal disorder due to arylsulfatase B (ARSB) deficiency that leads to widespread accumulation of glycosaminoglycans (GAG), which are excreted in increased amounts in urine. MPS VI is characterized by progressive dysostosis multiplex, connective tissue and cardiac involvement, and hepatosplenomegaly. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) is available but requires life-long and costly intravenous infusions; moreover, it has limited efficacy on diseased skeleton and cardiac valves, compromised pulmonary function, and corneal opacities.

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Background: Classic infantile onset of Pompe disease (c-IOPD) leads to hypotonia and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy within the first days to weeks of life and, without treatment, patients die of cardiorespiratory failure in their first 1-2 years of life. Enzymatic replacement therapy (ERT) with alglucosidase alfa is the only available treatment, but adverse immune reactions can reduce ERT's effectiveness and safety. It is therefore very important to identify strategies to prevent and manage these complications.

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The mainstay of phenylketonuria treatment is a low protein diet, supplemented with phenylalanine (Phe)-free protein substitutes and micronutrients. Adhering to this diet is challenging, and even patients with good metabolic control who follow the dietary prescriptions in everyday life ignore the recommendations occasionally. The present study explores the ability of slow-release large neutral amino acids (srLNAAs) to prevent Phe increase following a Phe dietary load.

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