RatioCRISPR: A ratiometric biochip based on CRISPR/Cas12a for automated and multiplexed detection of heteroplasmic SNPs in mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondrial genetic diseases are often characterized by heteroplasmic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) where both wild-type (WT) and mutant-type (MT) coexist, making detection of accurate SNP abundance critical for diagnosis. Here, we present RatioCRISPR, an automated ratiometric biochip sensor based on the CRISPR/Cas12a system for detecting multiple heteroplasmic SNPs in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). The ratiometric sensor output is only influenced by the relative abundance of WT and MT,…
Mit.OnOff: A Science Communication Project for Public Awareness about Mitochondrial Cytopathies
CONCLUSION: It is hoped that the production of this book will give patients a sense of inclusion and representation in the media. This, in turn, will contribute to achieving the SDG targets (3,4,5,8,10,12), i.e., ensuring people live healthy lives, reducing child mortality, and increasing life expectancy, ensuring access to inclusive, equitable and quality education for all, ensuring gender equality, and contributing to a peaceful and prosperous world.
Pushing Retinal Imaging Forward: Innovations and their Clinical Meaning. The 2022 Ophthalmologica Lecture
Retinal imaging has greatly expanded our understanding of various pathological conditions. This article presents a summary of the key points covered during the 2022 Ophthalmologica Lecture held at the Euretina congress in Hamburg. The first part of the article focuses on the use of optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) to examine and comprehend the choroid in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Subsequently, we delve into the discussion of the “postreceptor neuronal loss” theory in…
Neuroprotective Effect of Tauroursodeoxycholic Acid (TUDCA) on In Vitro and In Vivo Models of Retinal Disorders: A Systematic Review
CONCLUSION: This systematic review demonstrated that TUDCA has neuroprotective effect on in vivo and in vitro models of retinal disorders, reinforcing the currently available evidence that TUDCA could be a promising therapeutic agent in retinal diseases treatment. However, well designed clinical trials are necessary to appraise the efficacy of TUDCA in clinical setting.
Evaluation of Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Idebenone Responsiveness in Fibroblasts from Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON) Subjects
Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is a disease that affects the optical nerve, causing visual loss. The diagnosis of LHON is mostly defined by the identification of three pathogenic variants in the mitochondrial DNA. Idebenone is widely used to treat LHON patients, but only some of them are responders to treatment. In our study, we assessed the maximal respiration rate (MRR) and other respiratory parameters in eight fibroblast lines from subjects carrying LHON pathogenic variants. We…
Literature Commentary
In this issue of JNO, Drs. Mark L. Moster, Marc J. Dinkin, and Deborah I. Friedman discuss the following 6 articles:Piehl F, Eriksson-Dufva A, Budzianowska A, Feresiadou A, Hansson W, Hietala MA, Håkansson I, Johansson R, Jons D, Kmezic I, Lindberg C, Lindh J, Lundin F, Nygren I, Punga AR, Press R, Samuelsson K, Sundström P, Wickberg O, Brauner S, Frisell T. Efficacy and safety of rituximab for new-onset generalized myasthenia gravis: the RINOMAX randomized clinical trial. JAMA Neurol….
Peripapillary hyperreflective ovoid mass-like structures (PHOMS) in patients with acute Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy
CONCLUSIONS: Acute LHON eyes have PHOMS which are mainly confined to the temporal peripapillary sector. PHOMS may represent swelled retinal fibers that have herniated or are in stasis.
Autosomal recessive Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy caused by a homozygous variant in DNAJC30 gene
Recently, Stenton et al. (2021) described a new, autosomal recessive inheritance pattern of Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) caused by missense variants in the DNAJC30 gene. The DNAJC30 c.152A > G, p.(Tyr51Cys) variant was by far the most common variant reported in patients originating from Eastern Europe, therefore, it is believed to be a founder variant in these populations. We report the first two cases of DNAJC30-linked autosomal recessive LHON in a young male and a female…
Current and Future Landscape in Genetic Therapies for Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy
Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is the most common primary mitochondrial genetic disease that causes blindness in young adults. Over 50 inherited mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variations are associated with LHON; however, more than 95% of cases are caused by one of three missense variations (m.11778 G > A, m.3460 G > A, and m.14484 T > C) encoding for subunits ND4, ND1, and ND6 of the respiration complex I, respectively. These variants remain silent until further and currently poorly…
Hereditary optic neuropathy associated with demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system
Demyelinating optic neuritis and hereditary optic neuropathy (HON) take a leading place among the diseases, the leading clinical syndrome of which is bilateral optic neuropathy with a simultaneous or sequential significant decrease in visual acuity. Optic neuritis can occur at the onset or be one of the syndromes within multiple sclerosis (MS), neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD), and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody disease (MOGAD). HON are a group of…