Development of : A Potent, Highly Selective, and Systemically Active Orthosteric Antagonist of the M Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder.

The muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) subtype 5 (M) represents a novel potential target for the treatment of multiple addictive disorders, including opioid use disorder. Through chemical optimization of several functional high-throughput screening hits, () was identified as a novel M orthosteric antagonist with high potency (human M IC = 36 nM), M subtype selectivity (>100-fold selectivity against human M) and favorable physicochemical properties for systemic dosing in preclinical addiction models. In acute brain slice electrophysiology studies, blocked the nonselective muscarinic agonist oxotremorine-M-induced increases in neuronal firing rates of midbrain dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area, a part of the mesolimbic dopaminergic reward circuitry.

SAR inspired by aldehyde oxidase (AO) metabolism: Discovery of novel, CNS penetrant tricyclic M PAMs.

This letter describes progress towards an M PAM preclinical candidate inspired by an unexpected aldehyde oxidase (AO) metabolite of a novel, CNS penetrant thieno[2,3-c]pyridine core to an equipotent, non-CNS penetrant thieno[2,3-c]pyrdin-7(6H)-one core. Medicinal chemistry design efforts yielded two novel tricyclic cores that enhanced M PAM potency, regained CNS penetration, displayed favorable DMPK properties and afforded robust in vivo efficacy in reversing amphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion in rats.

Replication of Associations with Electrocardio-graphic Traits in African Americans from Clinical and Epidemiologic Studies.

The NAv1.5 sodium channel α subunit is the predominant α-subunit expressed in the heart and is associated with cardiac arrhythmias. We tested five previously identified variants (rs7374138, rs7637849, rs7637849, rs7629265, and rs11129796) for an association with PR interval and QRS duration in two unique study populations: the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III, n= 552) accessed by the Epidemiologic Architecture for Genes Linked to Environment (EAGLE) and a combined dataset (n= 455) from two biobanks linked to electronic medical records from Vanderbilt University (BioVU) and Northwestern University (NUgene) as part of the electronic Medical Records & Genomics (eMERGE) network.

Detection of pleiotropy through a Phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) of epidemiologic data as part of the Environmental Architecture for Genes Linked to Environment (EAGLE) study.

We performed a Phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) utilizing diverse genotypic and phenotypic data existing across multiple populations in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES), conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and accessed by the Epidemiological Architecture for Genes Linked to Environment (EAGLE) study. We calculated comprehensive tests of association in Genetic NHANES using 80 SNPs and 1,008 phenotypes (grouped into 184 phenotype classes), stratified by race-ethnicity. Genetic NHANES includes three surveys (NHANES III, 1999-2000, and 2001-2002) and three race-ethnicities: non-Hispanic whites (n = 6,634), non-Hispanic blacks (n = 3,458), and Mexican Americans (n = 3,950).

Rare variant APOC3 R19X is associated with cardio-protective profiles in a diverse population-based survey as part of the Epidemiologic Architecture for Genes Linked to Environment Study.

Background: A founder mutation was recently discovered and described as conferring favorable lipid profiles and reduced subclinical atherosclerotic disease in a Pennsylvania Amish population. Preliminary data have suggested that this null mutation APOC3 R19X (rs76353203) is rare in the general population.

Methods And Results: To better describe the frequency and lipid profile in the general population, we as part of the Population Architecture using Genomics and Epidemiology I Study and the Epidemiological Architecture for Genes Linked to Environment Study genotyped rs76353203 in 1113 Amish participants from Ohio and Indiana and 19 613 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES III, 1999 to 2002, and 2007 to 2008).

Detection of copy number variation by SNP-allelotyping.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A (CMT1A) is caused by an abnormal copy number variation (CNV) with a trisomy of chromosome 17p12. The increase of the DNA-segment copy number is expected to alter the allele frequency of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) within the duplicated region. We tested whether SNP allele frequency determined by a Sequenom MassArray can be used to detect the CMT1A mutation.

KIAA1462, a coronary artery disease associated gene, is a candidate gene for late onset Alzheimer disease in APOE carriers.

Alzheimer disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease affecting more than five million Americans. In this study, we have used updated genetic linkage data from chromosome 10 in combination with expression data from serial analysis of gene expression to choose a new set of thirteen candidate genes for genetic analysis in late onset Alzheimer disease (LOAD). Results in this study identify the KIAA1462 locus as a candidate locus for LOAD in APOE4 carriers.

Lipid trait-associated genetic variation is associated with gallstone disease in the diverse Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III).

Background: Gallstone disease is one of the most common digestive disorders, affecting more than 30 million Americans. Previous twin studies suggest a heritability of 25% for gallstone formation. To date, one genome-wide association study (GWAS) has been performed in a population of European-descent.

Analysis of immune-related loci identifies 48 new susceptibility variants for multiple sclerosis.

Using the ImmunoChip custom genotyping array, we analyzed 14,498 subjects with multiple sclerosis and 24,091 healthy controls for 161,311 autosomal variants and identified 135 potentially associated regions (P < 1.0 × 10(-4)). In a replication phase, we combined these data with previous genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from an independent 14,802 subjects with multiple sclerosis and 26,703 healthy controls.

Putting pleiotropy and selection into context defines a new paradigm for interpreting genetic data.

Background: Natural selection shapes many human genes, including some related to complex diseases. Understanding how selection affects genes, especially pleiotropic ones, may be important in evaluating disease associations and the role played by environmental variation. This may be of particular interest for genes with antagonistic roles that cause divergent patterns of selection.

Effects of smoking on the genetic risk of obesity: the population architecture using genomics and epidemiology study.

Background: Although smoking behavior is known to affect body mass index (BMI), the potential for smoking to influence genetic associations with BMI is largely unexplored.

Methods: As part of the 'Population Architecture using Genomics and Epidemiology (PAGE)' Consortium, we investigated interaction between genetic risk factors associated with BMI and smoking for 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) previously identified in genome-wide association studies. We included 6 studies with a total of 56,466 subjects (16,750 African Americans (AA) and 39,716 European Americans (EA)).

Identification and confirmation of an exonic splicing enhancer variation in exon 5 of the Alzheimer disease associated PICALM gene.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by memory and cognitive impairment and is the leading cause of dementia in the elderly. A number of genome wide association studies and subsequent replication studies have been published recently on late onset AD (LOAD). These studies identified several new susceptibility genes including phosphatidylinositol-binding clathrin assembly protein (PICALM) on chromosome 11.

Serum vitamins A and E as modifiers of lipid trait genetics in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys as part of the Population Architecture using Genomics and Epidemiology (PAGE) study.

Both environmental and genetic factors impact lipid traits. Environmental modifiers of known genotype-phenotype associations may account for some of the "missing heritability" of these traits. To identify such modifiers, we genotyped 23 lipid-associated variants identified previously through genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in 2,435 non-Hispanic white, 1,407 non-Hispanic black, and 1,734 Mexican-American samples collected for the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES).

Using genetic variation and environmental risk factor data to identify individuals at high risk for age-related macular degeneration.

A major goal of personalized medicine is to pre-symptomatically identify individuals at high risk for disease using knowledge of each individual's particular genetic profile and constellation of environmental risk factors. With the identification of several well-replicated risk factors for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of legal blindness in older adults, this previously unreachable goal is beginning to seem less elusive. However, recently developed algorithms have either been much less accurate than expected, given the strong effects of the identified risk factors, or have not been applied to independent datasets, leaving unknown how well they would perform in the population at large.

Dissection of chromosome 16p12 linkage peak suggests a possible role for CACNG3 variants in age-related macular degeneration susceptibility.

Purpose: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a complex disorder of the retina, characterized by drusen, geographic atrophy, and choroidal neovascularization. Cigarette smoking and the genetic variants CFH Y402H, ARMS2 A69S, CFB R32Q, and C3 R102G have been strongly and consistently associated with AMD. Multiple linkage studies have found evidence suggestive of another AMD locus on chromosome 16p12 but the gene responsible has yet to be identified.

Examination of tetrahydrobiopterin pathway genes in autism.

Autism is a complex disorder with a high degree of heritability and significant phenotypic and genotypic heterogeneity. Although candidate gene studies and genome-wide screens have failed to identify major causal loci associated with autism, numerous studies have proposed association with several variations in genes in the dopaminergic and serotonergic pathways. Because tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) is the essential cofactor in the synthesis of these two neurotransmitters, we genotyped 25 SNPs in nine genes of the BH4 pathway in a total of 403 families.

Follow-up examination of linkage and association to chromosome 1q43 in multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating neuroimmunological and neurodegenerative disease affecting >4,00,000 individuals in the United States. Population and family-based studies have suggested that there is a strong genetic component. Numerous genomic linkage screens have identified regions of interest for MS loci.

CALHM1 polymorphism is not associated with late-onset Alzheimer disease.

Data suggests that the P86L polymorphism (rs2986017) in the calcium homeostasis modulator 1 (CALHM1) gene interferes with CALHM1 functionality, increases Abeta levels, and is associated with late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD). Previous studies have demonstrated association with P86L and LOAD in three of five case-control cohorts, and a joint analysis of all datasets showed association with a p-value of 2 x 10(-10) and an allele-specific odds ratio of 1.44 (2,043 cases, 1,361 controls total).

Examination of association to autism of common genetic variationin genes related to dopamine.

Autism is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a triad of complications. Autistic individuals display significant disturbances in language and reciprocal social interactions, combined with repetitive and stereotypic behaviors. Prevalence studies suggest that autism is more common than originally believed, with recent estimates citing a rate of one in 150.

Genomic convergence to identify candidate genes for Alzheimer disease on chromosome 10.

A broad region of chromosome 10 (chr10) has engendered continued interest in the etiology of late-onset Alzheimer Disease (LOAD) from both linkage and candidate gene studies. However, there is a very extensive heterogeneity on chr10. We converged linkage analysis and gene expression data using the concept of genomic convergence that suggests that genes showing positive results across multiple different data types are more likely to be involved in AD.

The enteropathy of prostaglandin deficiency.

Background: Small intestinal ulcers are frequent complications of therapy with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). We present here a genetic deficiency of eicosanoid biosynthesis that illuminates the mechanism of NSAID-induced ulcers of the small intestine.

Methods: Eicosanoids and metabolites were measured by isotope dilution with mass spectrometry.

Examination of association of genes in the serotonin system to autism.

Autism is characterized as one of the pervasive developmental disorders, a spectrum of often severe behavioral and cognitive disturbances of early development. The high heritability of autism has driven multiple efforts to identify genetic variation that increases autism susceptibility. Numerous studies have suggested that variation in peripheral and central metabolism of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) may play a role in the pathophysiology of autism.

3'-Intercalation of a N2-dG 1R-trans-anti-benzo[c]phenanthrene DNA adduct in an iterated (CG)3 repeat.

The conformation of the 1 R,2 S,3 R,4 S-benzo[ c]phenanthrene- N (2)-dG adduct, arising from trans opening of the (+)-1 S,2 R,3 R,4 S- anti-benzo[ c]phenanthrene diol epoxide, was examined in 5'- d(ATCGC XCGGCATG)-3'.5'-d(CATGCCG CGCGAT)-3', where X = 1 R,2 S,3 R,4 S-B[ c]P- N (2)-dG. This duplex, derived from the hisD3052 frameshift tester strain of Salmonella typhimurium, contains a (CG) 3 iterated repeat, a hotspot for frameshift mutagenesis.

A genome-wide scan in an Amish pedigree with parkinsonism.

The identification of familial Parkinson Disease (PD) genes is yielding important molecular pathogenetic insights. In an effort to identify additional PD genes, we studied an eight generation Amish pedigree with apparent autosomal dominant parkinsonism with incomplete penetrance. Phenotypic variability ranged from idiopathic PD to progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), with the average age at onset 53 years (range of 39 to 74 years).