Publications by authors named "Mary K Koenig"

Objective: Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) results from overactivity of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR). Sirolimus and everolimus are mTOR inhibitors that treat most facets of TSC but are understudied in infants. We sought to understand the safety and potential efficacy of preventative sirolimus in infants with TSC.

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This case series presents the use of elamipretide in two patients with different progressive mitochondrial disorders (chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia [CPEO] plus and neuropathy, ataxia, and retinitis pigmentosa [NARP] syndrome) characterized by ophthalmic traits. Elamipretide was well tolerated and both patients demonstrated improvement in symptoms while on therapy.

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Background: As previously published, the MMPOWER-3 clinical trial did not demonstrate a significant benefit of elamipretide treatment in a genotypically diverse population of adults with primary mitochondrial myopathy (PMM). However, the prespecified subgroup of subjects with disease-causing nuclear DNA (nDNA) pathogenic variants receiving elamipretide experienced an improvement in the six-minute walk test (6MWT), while the cohort of subjects with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) pathogenic variants showed no difference versus placebo. These published findings prompted additional genotype-specific post hoc analyses of the MMPOWER-3 trial.

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Background: Ataxia telangiectasia is a multisystem disorder with progressive neurodegeneration. Corticosteroids can improve neurological functioning in patients with the disorder but adrenal suppression and symptom recurrence on treatment discontinuation has limited their use, prompting the development of novel steroid delivery systems. The aim of the ATTeST study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intra-erythrocyte delivery of dexamethasone sodium phosphate compared with placebo in children with ataxia telangiectasia.

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Article Synopsis
  • Children with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) have a high risk of developing drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE), making it crucial to identify those at greatest risk for timely management.
  • The study analyzed data from 70 infants with TSC to evaluate the relationship between specific TSC genotypes and the likelihood of experiencing DRE, using a variety of statistical methods.
  • Findings revealed that TSC2 pathogenic variants were strongly linked to DRE, with all DRE cases found in participants carrying TSC2 mutations; in contrast, TSC1 variants were associated with later-onset epilepsy, highlighting important differences in risk profiles.
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This case report presents a progressively declining 17-year-old patient with membrane protein-associated neurodegeneration who demonstrated symptomatic improvements in her dysarthria, dysphagia, and gait, and objective improvements in her 6-minute walk test and 5 times sit-to-stand test during elamipretide treatment.

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Objective: This study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that early vigabatrin treatment in tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) infants improves neurocognitive outcome at 24 months of age.

Methods: A phase IIb multicenter randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial was conducted of vigabatrin at first epileptiform electroencephalogram (EEG) versus vigabatrin at seizure onset in infants with TSC. Primary outcome was Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (Bayley-III) cognitive assessment score at 24 months.

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Background And Objectives: Primary mitochondrial myopathies (PMMs) encompass a group of genetic disorders that impair mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, adversely affecting physical function, exercise capacity, and quality of life (QoL). Current PMM standards of care address symptoms, with limited clinical impact, constituting a significant therapeutic unmet need. We present data from MMPOWER-3, a pivotal, phase-3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial that evaluated the efficacy and safety of elamipretide in participants with genetically confirmed PMM.

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Several mitochondrial diseases are caused by pathogenic variants that impair membrane phospholipid remodeling, with no FDA-approved therapies. Elamipretide targets the inner mitochondrial membrane where it binds to cardiolipin, resulting in improved membrane stability, cellular respiration, and ATP production. In clinical trials, elamipretide produced clinical and functional improvements in adults and adolescents with mitochondrial disorders, such as primary mitochondrial myopathy and Barth syndrome; however, experience in younger patients is limited and to our knowledge, these are the first case reports on the safety and efficacy of elamipretide treatment in children under 12 years of age.

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gene mutations are the most common causes of inherited mitochondrial disorders. The enzyme produced by this gene is responsible for the replication and repair of mitochondrial DNA. To date, around 300 pathogenic variants have been described in this gene.

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Vacuolar-type H+-ATPase (V-ATPase) is a multimeric complex present in a variety of cellular membranes that acts as an ATP-dependent proton pump and plays a key role in pH homeostasis and intracellular signalling pathways. In humans, 22 autosomal genes encode for a redundant set of subunits allowing the composition of diverse V-ATPase complexes with specific properties and expression. Sixteen subunits have been linked to human disease.

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Article Synopsis
  • Recent findings on biallelic DNAJC30 variants challenge the idea that Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is only passed down from mothers and broaden the understanding of Leigh syndrome, the most common mitochondrial disease in kids.
  • A study identified 28 new individuals with a specific DNAJC30 genetic variant: 24 had LHON, 2 had Leigh syndrome, and 2 were asymptomatic, indicating that the genetic impact varies by sex.
  • Those with autosomal recessive LHON showed earlier onset and better recovery rates with treatment compared to previously known maternal cases, and the discovery of two more Leigh syndrome patients enhances the link between DNAJC30 and this condition.
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NEXMIF pathogenic variants have been known to produce a wide spectrum of X-linked intellectual disability (ID) in both males and females. Thus far, few individuals from diverse populations have been described with NEXMIF-related disorders. Herein, we report three individuals with NEXMIF pathogenic variants, the first two are the only males of Korean and Vietnamese descent described with this disorder to our knowledge.

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Spectrins are common components of cytoskeletons, binding to cytoskeletal elements and the plasma membrane, allowing proper localization of essential membrane proteins, signal transduction, and cellular scaffolding. Spectrins are assembled from α and β subunits, encoded by SPTA1 and SPTAN1 (α) and SPTB, SPTBN1, SPTBN2, SPTBN4, and SPTBN5 (β). Pathogenic variants in various spectrin genes are associated with erythroid cell disorders (SPTA1, SPTB) and neurologic disorders (SPTAN1, SPTBN2, and SPTBN4), but no phenotypes have been definitively associated with variants in SPTBN1 or SPTBN5.

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Background: Pathogenic variants are a frequent cause of developmental and epileptic encephalopathy.

Methods: We recruited 13 adults (between 18 years and 45 years of age) with encephalopathy and reviewed their clinical, EEG, neuroimaging and treatment history.

Results: While most patients had daily seizures at seizure onset, seizure frequency declined or remitted during childhood and adulthood.

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Diabetes and hyperglycemia are common features of mitochondrial disorders. This study investigates the frequency of non-iatrogenic hypoglycemia in individuals with these disorders. Of 116 patients, 22 (18.

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In the field of mitochondrial medicine, correlation of clinical phenotype with mutation heteroplasmy remains an outstanding question with few, if any, clear thresholds corresponding to a given phenotype. The m.8344A>G mutation is most commonly associated with myoclonus epilepsy and ragged red fiber syndrome (MERRF) at varying levels of heteroplasmy.

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Article Synopsis
  • * In a study of 20 individuals with harmful mutations in MORC2, symptoms included developmental delay, intellectual disability, and physical growth issues, alongside signs of neuropathy, though neuropathy was not the main problem.
  • * The findings suggest that these genetic variants cause abnormal epigenetic silencing and expand the known disorders linked to MORC2, including specific brain imaging and eye exam abnormalities resembling Leigh syndrome.
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Article Synopsis
  • Scientists found a gene that can cause a mitochondrial disorder, affecting how cells make energy, and they studied five new patients along with eight previously known ones.
  • They used advanced tests to figure out the genetic changes in these patients and found some that affected brain and body function.
  • The patients showed signs like developmental delays and problems with movement, and the researchers found that their energy-making cells weren't working well.
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Background: Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is an autosomal dominant genetic condition that involves abnormalities of the skin, hamartomas in the heart, brain, and kidneys, seizures, as well as TSC-associated neuropsychiatric disorders (TAND). About 90%-95% of individuals with TSC will have an identifiable pathogenic variant in either TSC1 or TSC2. We present here two family members with clinical diagnoses of TSC that were later determined to be due to two different genetic etiologies.

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EIF2AK1 and EIF2AK2 encode members of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 alpha kinase (EIF2AK) family that inhibits protein synthesis in response to physiologic stress conditions. EIF2AK2 is also involved in innate immune response and the regulation of signal transduction, apoptosis, cell proliferation, and differentiation. Despite these findings, human disorders associated with deleterious variants in EIF2AK1 and EIF2AK2 have not been reported.

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The bromodomain adjacent to zinc finger 2B gene (BAZ2B) encodes a protein involved in chromatin remodeling. Loss of BAZ2B function has been postulated to cause neurodevelopmental disorders. To determine whether BAZ2B deficiency is likely to contribute to the pathogenesis of these disorders, we performed bioinformatics analyses that demonstrated a high level of functional convergence during fetal cortical development between BAZ2B and genes known to cause autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and neurodevelopmental disorder.

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