Publications by authors named "Louie R"

Pathogenic heterozygous variants in CHD4 cause Sifrim-Hitz-Weiss syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with brain anomalies, heart defects, macrocephaly, hypogonadism, and additional features with variable expressivity. Most individuals have non-recurrent missense variants, complicating variant interpretation. A few were reported with truncating variants, and their role in disease is unclear.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Anti-CD19 Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-T cell therapies have shown promise for treating B cell malignancies, but the clinical outcome is influenced by both the CAR-T product and the patient's immune system. The role of γδ T cells in the context of CAR-T cell therapy remains poorly understood. This study investigates the transcriptional heterogeneity, clonal expansion and dynamics of γδ T cells in patients undergoing anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) that affects approximately 4% of males and 1% of females in the United States. While causes of ASD are multi-factorial, single rare genetic variants contribute to around 20% of cases. Here, we report a case series of seven unrelated probands (6 males, 1 female) with ASD or another variable NDD phenotype attributed to de novo heterozygous loss of function or missense variants in the gene LARP1 (La ribonucleoprotein 1).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Rarely, Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) manifests exclusively in the skin, typically as nodules on the trunk and extremities. Recognition of characteristic histopathologic features enables diagnosis of RDD. A 55-year-old female presented with a 7-year history of cutaneous nodules involving the trunk and extremities.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) represents about 25% of newly diagnosed breast cancers. There is debate about the benefit of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for further staging and guidance of therapy in patients with DCIS. Current guidelines recommend SLNB for patients undergoing breast-conserving therapy (BCT) for DCIS.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Ion channels mediate voltage fluxes or action potentials that are central to the functioning of excitable cells such as neurons. The KCNB family of voltage-gated potassium channels (Kv) consists of two members (KCNB1 and KCNB2) encoded by KCNB1 and KCNB2, respectively. These channels are major contributors to delayed rectifier potassium currents arising from the neuronal soma which modulate overall excitability of neurons.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

THOC6 variants are the genetic basis of autosomal recessive THOC6 Intellectual Disability Syndrome (TIDS). THOC6 is critical for mammalian Transcription Export complex (TREX) tetramer formation, which is composed of four six-subunit THO monomers. The TREX tetramer facilitates mammalian RNA processing, in addition to the nuclear mRNA export functions of the TREX dimer conserved through yeast.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: This study aims to assess the diagnostic utility and provide reporting recommendations for clinical DNA methylation episignature testing based on the cohort of patients tested through the EpiSign Clinical Testing Network.

Methods: The EpiSign assay utilized unsupervised clustering techniques and a support vector machine-based classification algorithm to compare each patient's genome-wide DNA methylation profile with the EpiSign Knowledge Database, yielding the result that was reported. An international working group, representing distinct EpiSign Clinical Testing Network health jurisdictions, collaborated to establish recommendations for interpretation and reporting of episignature testing.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

WDR44 prevents ciliogenesis initiation by regulating RAB11-dependent vesicle trafficking. Here, we describe male patients with missense and nonsense variants within the WD40 repeats (WDR) of WDR44, an X-linked gene product, who display ciliopathy-related developmental phenotypes that we can model in zebrafish. The patient phenotypic spectrum includes developmental delay/intellectual disability, hypotonia, distinct craniofacial features and variable presence of brain, renal, cardiac and musculoskeletal abnormalities.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is a tumor-associated antigen that is frequently overexpressed in various carcinomas. We have developed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells specifically targeting EpCAM for the treatment of gastric cancer. This study sought to unravel the precise mechanisms by which tumors evade immune surveillance and develop resistance to CAR T cell therapy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) leads to paralysis and death by progressive degeneration of motor neurons. Recently, specific mutations in were identified in patients with juvenile form of ALS encodes the second catalytic subunit of the serine-palmitoyltransferase (SPT) complex.

Methods: We used the GENESIS platform to screen 700 ALS whole-genome and whole-exome data sets for variants in .

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy is effective in treating B cell malignancies, but factors influencing the persistence of functional CAR T cells, such as product composition, patients' lymphodepletion, and immune reconstitution, are not well understood. To shed light on this issue, here we conduct a single-cell multi-omics analysis of transcriptional, clonal, and phenotypic profiles from pre- to 1-month post-infusion of CAR and CAR T cells from patients from a CARTELL study (ACTRN12617001579381) who received a donor-derived 4-1BB CAR product targeting CD19. Following infusion, CAR T cells and CAR T cells shows similar differentiation profiles with clonally expanded populations across heterogeneous phenotypes, demonstrating clonal lineages and phenotypic plasticity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
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. *
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: In 2016, the Choosing Wisely campaign recommended against routine sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in women ≥ 70 years old diagnosed with early-stage hormone receptor positive (HR+), HER2 negative (HER2-) breast cancer. No distinction is made between luminal A and luminal B phenotypes, despite luminal B being considered more aggressive. This study evaluates the effect of SLNB on oncologic outcomes in HER2- luminal B versus luminal A breast cancer.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: In 2016, the SSO and ABIM released a Choosing Wisely® guideline stating SLNB can be safely omitted in women ≥70 with HR ​+ ​HER-invasive breast cancer. No study evaluating concordance of care with this guideline has been performed within a comprehensive cancer center.

Methods: From 2005 to 2020, there were 382 patients with cT1-2N0 invasive carcinoma ER+/PR+ and HER2-identified as having undergone SLNB.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

is the genetic basis of autosomal recessive THOC6 Intellectual Disability Syndrome (TIDS). THOC6 facilitates the formation of the Transcription Export complex (TREX) tetramer, composed of four THO monomers. The TREX tetramer supports mammalian mRNA processing that is distinct from yeast TREX dimer functions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) resulting from pathogenic variants in PKD1 and PKD2 is the most common form of PKD, but other genetic causes tied to primary cilia function have been identified. Biallelic pathogenic variants in the serine/threonine kinase NEK8 cause a syndromic ciliopathy with extra-kidney manifestations. Here we identify NEK8 as a disease gene for ADPKD in 12 families.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Pathogenic variants in the zinc finger protein coding genes are rare causes of intellectual disability and congenital malformations. Mutations in the gene causing GDACCF syndrome (global developmental delay, absent or hypoplastic corpus callosum, dysmorphic facies; MIM #617260) have been reported in five individuals so far.

Methods: As a result of an international collaboration using GeneMatcher Phenome Central Repository and personal communications, here we describe the clinical and molecular genetic characteristics of 22 previously unreported individuals.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • De novo variants contribute significantly to neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), but due to their rarity, understanding the full range of symptoms and genetic variations linked to specific genes like KDM6B poses a challenge.
  • The study of 85 individuals with KDM6B variants reveals that cognitive deficits are common, while features like coarse facies and skeletal issues are rare, indicating that existing descriptions may be misleading.
  • Through innovative testing methods and studies on Drosophila, the researchers highlight the critical role of KDM6B in cognitive function and the importance of international collaboration for accurate diagnosis of rare disorders.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • SRSF1 is a protein that plays a crucial role in mRNA processing and is essential for proper brain development; its complete loss is fatal during embryonic stages in mice.
  • Researchers identified 17 individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) who have specific genetic changes in the SRSF1 gene, which lead to developmental delays, intellectual disability, and other health issues.
  • Advanced analysis techniques demonstrated that most genetic variants linked to SRSF1 result in a loss of its function, causing syndromic NDD due to impaired splicing activity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Lethal short-limb skeletal dysplasia Al-Gazali type (OMIM %601356), also called dysplastic cortical hyperostosis, Al-Gazali type, is an ultra-rare disorder previously reported in only three unrelated individuals. The genetic etiology for Al-Gazali skeletal dysplasia has up until now been unknown. Through international collaborative efforts involving seven clinical centers worldwide, a cohort of nine patients with clinical and radiographic features consistent with short-limb skeletal dysplasia Al-Gazali type was collected.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

T cell exhaustion is a hallmark of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and limits protective immunity in chronic viral infections and cancer. Limited knowledge exists of the initial viral and immune dynamics that characterise exhaustion in humans. We studied longitudinal blood samples from a unique cohort of individuals with primary infection using single-cell multi-omics to identify the functions and phenotypes of HCV-specific CD8 T cells.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Mosaic variants in the PIK3CA gene, encoding the catalytic subunit of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), produce constitutive PI3K activation, which causes PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum disorders. To date, fewer than 20 patients have been described with germline alterations in PIK3CA. In this study, we describe three unrelated individuals with overgrowth and germline PIK3CA variants.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF