Publications by authors named "Gorokhova S"

Article Synopsis
  • High-throughput sequencing has revealed "actionable genes" that are associated with diseases having specific treatments or care.
  • Accurate genetic diagnosis is essential in starting interventions that can prevent or delay rare diseases, but increased analysis requests can delay results.
  • A French study identified 63 actionable genes in myopathies, highlighting the potential for improved patient prognosis, yet many rare diseases still lack specific treatments, emphasizing the need for ongoing research.
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  • Rigid spine syndrome is a rare condition in children marked by progressive scoliosis, neck and spine stiffness, muscle weakness, and breathing issues, primarily linked to genetic variations in the SELENON gene.
  • Recent research identified additional genetic variants in the HMGCS1 gene in five patients, suggesting it plays a role in this syndrome, despite it not being previously linked to any diseases.
  • Functional studies of the HMGCS1 variants showed altered protein stability and activity, and experiments in zebrafish indicated that these mutations severely impact development, but can be rescued by introducing healthy HMGCS1 mRNA.
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Biallelic pathogenic variants in the gene encoding nebulin (NEB) are a known cause of congenital myopathy. We present two brothers with congenital myopathy and compound heterozygous variants (NC_000002.12:g.

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Objective: Limb girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMDs) are a group of genetically heterogeneous autosomal conditions with some degree of phenotypic homogeneity. LGMD is defined as having onset >2 years of age with progressive proximal weakness, elevated serum creatine kinase levels and dystrophic features on muscle biopsy. Advances in massively parallel sequencing have led to a surge in genes linked to LGMD.

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Objective: Biallelic titin truncating variants (TTNtv) have been associated with a wide phenotypic spectrum, ranging from complex prenatal muscle diseases with dysmorphic features to adult-onset limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, with or without cardiac involvement. Given the size and complexity of TTN, reaching an unequivocal molecular diagnosis and precise disease prognosis remains challenging.

Methods: In this case series, 12 unpublished cases and one already published case with biallelic TTNtv were collected from multiple international medical centers between November 2022 and September 2023.

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Introduction: Limb girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMDs) are a group of genetically heterogeneous autosomal conditions with some degree of phenotypic homogeneity. LGMD is defined as having onset >2 years of age with progressive proximal weakness, elevated serum creatine kinase levels and dystrophic features on muscle biopsy. Advances in massively parallel sequencing have led to a surge in genes linked to LGMD.

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Muscular dystrophies (MDs) are inherited genetic diseases causing weakness and degeneration of muscles. The distribution of muscle weakness differs between MDs, involving distal muscles or proximal muscles. While the mutations in most of the MD-associated genes lead to either distal or proximal onset, there are also genes whose mutations can cause both types of onsets.

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Biallelic pathogenic variants in the gene encoding nebulin () are a known cause of congenital myopathy. We present two individuals with congenital myopathy and compound heterozygous variants (NM_001271208.2: c.

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Troponin I (TnI) regulates thin filament activation and muscle contraction. Two isoforms, TnI-fast () and TnI-slow (), are predominantly expressed in fast- and slow-twitch myofibers, respectively. variants are a rare cause of arthrogryposis, whereas variants have not been conclusively established to cause skeletal myopathy.

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Objective: X-linked myopathy with excessive autophagy (XMEA) linked to the VMA21 gene leads to autophagy failure with progressive vacuolation and atrophy of skeletal muscles. Current knowledge of this rare disease is limited. Our objective was to define the clinical, radiological, and natural history of XMEA.

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Collagen type VI-related dystrophies (COL6-RD) are rare diseases with a wide phenotypic spectrum ranging from severe Ullrich's congenital muscular dystrophy Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy to much milder Bethlem myopathy Both dominant and recessive forms of COL6-RD are caused by pathogenic variants in three collagen VI genes (, and ). The prognosis of these diseases is variable and difficult to predict during early disease stages, especially since the genotype-phenotype correlation is not always clear. For this reason, studies with long-term follow-up of patients with genetically confirmed COL6-RD are still needed.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study explores pre-mRNA splicing, its critical role in neurodevelopment, and how mutations in spliceosome-related genes U2AF2 and PRPF19 contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs).
  • - Researchers found multiple pathogenic variants in U2AF2 and PRPF19 across unrelated individuals, with functional analysis showing that specific U2AF2 variants disrupted normal splicing and neuritogenesis in human neurons.
  • - Additionally, investigations in Drosophila models revealed that the loss of function in U2AF2 and PRPF19 caused severe developmental defects and social issues, pointing to a genetic network wherein splicing factors like Rbfox1 play a significant role in brain development and function. *
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Background: Utrophin, a dystrophin homolog, is consistently upregulated in muscles of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and is believed to partially compensate for the lack of dystrophin in dystrophic muscle. Even though several animal studies support the idea that utrophin can modulate DMD disease severity, human clinical data are scarce.

Methods: We describe a patient with the largest reported in-frame deletion in the DMD gene, including exons 10-60 and thus encompassing the entire rod domain.

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The TRAPP (TRAfficking Protein Particle) complexes are evolutionarily conserved tethering factors involved in the intracellular transport of vesicles for secretion and autophagy processes. Pathogenic variants in 8 genes (of 14) encoding TRAPP proteins are involved in ultra-rare human diseases, called TRAPPopathies. Seven of them are autosomal recessive neurodevelopmental disorders with overlapping phenotypes.

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The implementation of high-throughput diagnostic sequencing has led to the generation of large amounts of mutational data, making their interpretation more complex and responsible for long delays. It has been important to prioritize certain analyses, particularly those of "actionable" genes in diagnostic situations, involving specific treatment and/or management. In our project, we carried out an objective assessment of the clinical actionability of genes involved in myopathies, for which only few data obtained methodologically exist to date.

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Article Synopsis
  • Exon skipping is a potential therapy for genetic disorders, where certain exons of a gene are omitted to retain some functional activity of the protein.
  • In Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), researchers identified an exon 49 deletion that did not negatively impact muscle function, suggesting that skipping this exon could be beneficial.
  • The study successfully demonstrated the possibility of skipping exon 49 using antisense oligonucleotides in both affected and healthy muscle cells, paving the way for future therapeutic applications for DMD patients with similar mutations.
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Article Synopsis
  • Hereditary myopathies are a diverse group of over 300 genetically-based muscle disorders, with no detailed records in Chile.
  • A study involving 82 Chilean patients with unexplained limb-girdle muscle weakness used advanced genetic testing, leading to clear diagnoses in 59.8% of cases and probable diagnoses in 9.8%.
  • Key gene mutations were identified, including those responsible for 22% and 8.5% of the cases, with some cases showing novel variants and a few linked to autoimmune conditions, indicating Chile's myopathy distribution is similar to global trends, but with a potentially higher rate of dysferlinopathy.
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Purpose: Genome-wide sequencing is increasingly being performed during pregnancy to identify the genetic cause of congenital anomalies. The interpretation of prenatally identified variants can be challenging and is hampered by our often limited knowledge of prenatal phenotypes. To better delineate the prenatal phenotype of Coffin-Siris syndrome (CSS), we collected clinical data from patients with a prenatal phenotype and a pathogenic variant in one of the CSS-associated genes.

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Dysferlinopathies are a group of muscular dystrophies caused by recessive mutations in the DYSF gene encoding the dysferlin protein. Dysferlin is a transmembrane protein involved in several muscle functions like T-tubule maintenance and membrane repair. In 2009, a study showed the existence of fourteen dysferlin transcripts generated from alternative splicing.

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Background And Aims: The identification of underlying genes of genetic conditions has expanded greatly in the past decades, which has broadened the field of genes responsible for inherited neuromuscular diseases. We aimed to investigate mutations associated with neuromuscular disorders phenotypes in 2 Moroccan families.

Material And Methods: Next-generation sequencing combined with Sanger sequencing could assist with understanding the hereditary variety and underlying disease mechanisms in these disorders.

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Article Synopsis
  • BET1 is essential for the fusion of vesicles from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the ER-Golgi intermediate compartment and cis-Golgi, working with partners like GOSR2 and Syntaxin-5.
  • Three individuals with severe congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD) were found to have mutations in BET1 that led to reduced protein levels and disrupted ER-to-Golgi transport.
  • The study identifies new interaction partners for BET1 and highlights the mislocalization of ERGIC-53 in cells from patients, confirming BET1's role as a new gene associated with CMD and its connection to the functioning of ER/Golgi SNARE proteins.
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Article Synopsis
  • Congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS) involve issues with neuromuscular junctions due to genetic mutations, particularly in the COLQ gene linked to autosomal recessive inheritance.
  • A novel COLQ homozygous mutation was discovered in a Moroccan family, marking the first identification of this specific mutation in the North African population.
  • Increased awareness and genetic testing for COLQ mutations in these populations is crucial, as effective treatments like ephedrine and albuterol could significantly improve patient outcomes.
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