Publications by authors named "MERCIER S"

Article Synopsis
  • RORA is a gene linked to the development and function of the cerebellum, and this study explores the largest group of individuals with RORA-related neurodevelopmental disorders (RORA-NDD).
  • The study involved 40 participants with various pathogenic variants of RORA, revealing a range of clinical features including developmental and intellectual disabilities, as well as cerebellar symptoms that can vary in onset and severity.
  • Findings indicate that certain missense variants are associated with more severe cerebellar issues, and common elements of RORA-NDD include developmental disabilities, cerebellar symptoms, and different types of myoclonic epilepsy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

While mostly de novo truncating variants in SCAF4 were recently identified in 18 individuals with variable neurodevelopmental phenotypes, knowledge on the molecular and clinical spectrum is still limited. We assembled data on 50 novel individuals with SCAF4 variants ascertained via GeneMatcher and personal communication. With detailed evaluation of clinical data, in silico predictions and structural modeling, we further characterized the molecular and clinical spectrum of the autosomal dominant SCAF4-associated neurodevelopmental disorder.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Spinal muscular atrophy type 1 (SMA1) is a severe genetic disease affecting motor neurons, and onasemnogene abeparvovec gene transfer therapy (GT) has significantly impacted its treatment, although real-world data is limited.
  • A study in France identified 95 SMA1 patients between June 2019 and June 2022, focusing on 29 who received GT and had over a year of follow-up.
  • Results indicated positive motor development and maintenance of respiratory and feeding functions in treated infants, although many developed spinal deformities, and two patients sadly passed away shortly after treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - The study examines how secondary genetic variants can influence the clinical features of individuals with primary disease-causing variants, suggesting that these modifiers play a significant role in disease expression.
  • - Specifically focusing on the 16p12.1 deletion, researchers identified various rare and common variants that predisposed individuals to specific developmental issues, such as neurological defects and microcephaly.
  • - By analyzing data from different cohorts, the findings indicate that the effects of primary and secondary variants on phenotype vary depending on the specific primary variant involved, highlighting the need for personalized approaches in treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * Many forms of intellectual disability prevalent globally are monogenic diseases, with a notable portion linked to genes in the ubiquitin-proteasome system, which regulates protein maintenance.
  • * A new category of neurodevelopmental disorders, termed "neurodevelopmental proteasomopathies," is emerging, characterized by cognitive impairments and various clinical features, though the underlying molecular mechanisms are still not well understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * These disorders result in developmental issues, particularly affecting neural development and causing physical abnormalities like craniofacial defects and heart malformations.
  • * The paper suggests that neural crest cells, which play a crucial role in forming craniofacial structures and heart components, may be particularly affected by disruptions in protein homeostasis, urging further research for potential treatments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Urban environments expose animals to abundant anthropogenic materials and foods that facilitate foraging innovations in species with opportunistic diets and high behavioral flexibility. Neophilia and exploration tendency are believed to be important behavioral traits for animals thriving in urban environments. Vervet monkeys () are one of few primate species that have successfully adapted to urban environments, thus making them an ideal species to study these traits.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Primary proteasomopathies have recently emerged as a new class of rare early-onset neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) caused by pathogenic variants in the PSMB1, PSMC1, PSMC3, or PSMD12 proteasome genes. Proteasomes are large multi-subunit protein complexes that maintain cellular protein homeostasis by clearing ubiquitin-tagged damaged, misfolded, or unnecessary proteins. In this study, we have identified PSMD11 as an additional proteasome gene in which pathogenic variation is associated with an NDD-causing proteasomopathy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Recently, the development of functional beverages has been enhanced to promote health and nutritional well-being. Thus, the fermentation of plant foods with lactic acid bacteria can enhance their antioxidant capacity and others like anti-inflammatory activity, which may depend on the variations in the total content and profile of (poly)phenols. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of fermentation with two strains of of several herbal infusions from thyme, rosemary, echinacea, and pomegranate peel on the (poly)phenolic composition and whether lacto-fermentation can contribute to enhance their in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on human colon myofibroblast CCD18-Co cells.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: Heterozygous missense variants in have been recently identified in 13 patients from 6 families with congenital myopathy with tremor. All the patients had mild skeletal myopathy invariably associated with a distinctive myogenic tremor and hypotonia with gradual clinical improvement. However, no phenotypic description has been reported for the neonatal respiratory impairment that patients may suffer.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

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.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Amazonian Indigenous Peoples are undergoing drastic changes in their ways of life including the quality and availability of food and its impact on their health and well-being. Indigenous populations have their own perspectives and interpretations of dietary changes unfolding in their communities. Based on in-depth interviews, observations and validation workshops we explored the way Awajún describe and problematise the concept of healthy and unhealthy food in the context of the nutrition transition.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Central nervous system (CNS) dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVF) have been reported in PTEN-related hamartoma tumor syndrome (PHTS). However, PHTS-associated DAVF remain an underexplored field of the PHTS clinical landscape. Here, we studied cases with a PTEN pathogenic variant identified between 2007 and 2020 in our laboratory (n = 58), and for whom brain imaging was available.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Duplications of the 3q29 chromosomal region are rare genetic variations linked to diverse neurodevelopmental disorders, often causing learning disabilities and neuropsychiatric issues.
  • A study involving 31 families revealed different sizes of 3q29 duplications: 14 recurrent, 8 overlapping, and 9 smaller ones, with some patients showing additional genetic factors influencing their conditions.
  • Most patients exhibited mild neurodevelopmental disorders, with many duplications being inherited and associated with low rates of intellectual disabilities, suggesting that severe cases might require more detailed genetic examination.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is a crucial pathway in eukaryotic cells that helps maintain protein balance, regulates cell functions, and dictates cell survival and death.
  • Proteins marked for degradation through the UPS are tagged with ubiquitin chains and broken down by 26S proteasomes.
  • Recent findings link certain proteasome dysfunctions to rare neurodevelopmental disorders, known as "neurodevelopmental proteasomopathies," which can lead to delays in development, behavioral issues, and various physical anomalies, prompting research into potential biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type 2 (CAMK2) family consists of four different isozymes, encoded by four different genes-CAMK2A, CAMK2B, CAMK2G, and CAMK2D-of which the first three have been associated recently with neurodevelopmental disorders. CAMK2D is one of the major CAMK2 proteins expressed in the heart and has been associated with cardiac anomalies. Although this CAMK2 isoform is also known to be one of the major CAMK2 subtypes expressed during early brain development, it has never been linked with neurodevelopmental disorders until now.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We investigated the validity of the 10th Revision Canadian modification of International Statistical Classification of Disease and Related Health Problems (ICD-10-CA) diagnostic codes for surgery for benign gynaecologic conditions in the Canadian Institute for Health Information Discharge Abstract Database (CIHI-DAD), the main source of routinely collected data in Canada. Reabstracted data from patient charts was compared to ICD-10-CA codes and measures of validity were calculated with 95% confidence intervals. A total of 1068 procedures were identified.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

AMPA (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid) receptors (AMPARs) mediate fast excitatory neurotransmission in the brain. AMPARs form by homo- or heteromeric assembly of subunits encoded by the GRIA1-GRIA4 genes, of which only GRIA3 is X-chromosomal. Increasing numbers of GRIA3 missense variants are reported in patients with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD), but only a few have been examined functionally.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We examined more than 97,000 families from four neurodevelopmental disease cohorts and the UK Biobank to identify phenotypic and genetic patterns in parents contributing to neurodevelopmental disease risk in children. We identified within- and cross-disorder correlations between six phenotypes in parents and children, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (R = 0.32-0.

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

Objectives: To characterise trajectories associated with a new team organisation combining critical care and palliative care approaches at home.

Methods: We describe the pattern of an emergency response team 24/7 directed to patients with advanced illness presenting a distressing symptom at home, who wanted to stay at home and for whom hospitalisation was considered inappropriate by a shared medical decision-making process in an emergency situation. To assess preliminary impact of this Programme, we conducted a descriptive study on all consecutive patients receiving this intervention during the first year (between 6 September 2021 and 5 September 2022).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Congenital insensitivity to pain (CIP) and hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathies (HSAN) are rare disorders affecting sensory and autonomic neurons, making them hard to study due to limited data.
  • A large international study identified 80 new pathogenic variants in 73 families across known CIP/HSAN-related genes, expanding knowledge on these diseases.
  • Advanced methodologies like in silico predictions and metabolic tests improved variant classification, crucial for guiding future gene-specific treatments in clinical trials.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • DYRK1A Syndrome is caused by mutations in the DYRK1A gene, leading to global developmental delays, intellectual disability, and common physical issues like low birth weight and microcephaly.
  • The study compiled growth data from 92 individuals with the syndrome, utilizing various sources including pediatric records and scientific literature.
  • New growth charts were created for key measurements (height, weight, BMI, occipitofrontal circumference) for children aged 0-5 years, providing a useful tool for managing patients with DYRK1A Syndrome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Weill-Marchesani syndrome (WMS) is a genetic disorder marked by short stature, brachydactyly, joint limitations, and specific eye abnormalities like spherophakia and ectopia lentis. Cardiovascular issues can also occur. It has both dominant and recessive genetic forms caused by mutations in different genes.
  • A study involved 61 patients, including 18 from new research and 43 from existing literature, assessing the correlation between their genetic variations and clinical features. It was found that the majority exhibited eye anomalies and a significant portion had short stature and valvulopathy.
  • The research indicates that while eye abnormalities are crucial for diagnosing WMS, its overall symptoms appear more
View Article and Find Full Text PDF