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Background Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a rare disease leading to hereditary bone fragility. Nearly 90% of cases are caused by mutations in the collagen genes COL1A1/A2 (classical OI) leading to multiple fractures, scoliosis, short stature and nonskeletal findings as blue sclera, hypermobility of joints, bone pain and delayed motor function development. Bisphosphonates are used in most moderate and severely affected patients assuming that an increase of bone mineral density might reduce fractures and bone pain in patients with OI. Denosumab as a RANK ligand antibody inhibiting osteoclast maturation has been approved for osteoporosis treatment in adults. First data from small clinical trials promised a high efficacy of Denosumab in children with OI. Aim of this analysis was a retrospective evaluation of an individualized biomarker-associated treatment regime with Denosumab in 10 children with classical OI which were followed for 1 year after their participation in a pilot trial with Denosumab. Therefore urinary deoxypyridinoline levels were evaluated frequently as an osteoclastic activity marker and depending on that levels Denosumab injections were scheduled individually. Methods Ten patients (age range: 6.16–12.13 years; all participated in the former OI-AK phase 2 trial (NCT01799798)) were included in the follow-up period. Denosumab was administered subcutaneously depending on the individual urinary excretion course of deoxypyridinoline (DPD/Crea) as osteoclastic activity marker with 1 mg/kg body weight. DPD/Crea levels were evaluated before denosumab administration and afterwards. If patients present after an initial decrease after injection with a re-increase up to the DPD/crea level before Denosumab injection next dosage was planned. Changes of areal bone mineral density (aBMD) using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry of the lumbar spine after 12 month was evaluated. Safety was assessed by bone metabolism markers and side effect reporting. Results During follow-up mean relative change of lumbar aBMD was − 6.4%. Lumbar spine aBMD z-Scores decreased from − 1.01 ± 2.61 (mean ± SD) to − 1.91 ± 2.12 ( p  = 0.015). Mobility changed not significantly (GMFM-88 -6.49 ± 8.85% ( p  = 0.08). No severe side effects occurred. Dose intervals could be extended in the mean from 12 weeks previously to 20.3 weeks. Conclusions On average, it was possible to prolong the intervals between drug administrations and to reduce the total dose about by 25% without a decrease of mobility or change of vertebral shape despite a reduction of lumbar aBMD during 1 year of biomarker-directed Denosumab treatment. Further trials are necessary to balance side effects and highest efficacy in children.

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a rare congenital disease with a wide spectrum of severity characterized by skeletal deformity and increased bone fragility as well as additional, variable extraskeletal symptoms. Here, we present an overview of the genetic heterogeneity and pathophysiological background of OI as well as OI-related bone fragility disorders and highlight current therapeutic options. The most common form of OI is caused by mutations in the two collagen type I genes. Stop mutations usually lead to reduced collagen amount resulting in a mild phenotype, while missense mutations mainly provoke structural alterations in the collagen protein and entail a more severe phenotype. Numerous other causal genes have been identified during the last decade that are involved in collagen biosynthesis, modification and secretion, the differentiation and function of osteoblasts, and the maintenance of bone homeostasis. Management of patients with OI involves medical treatment by bisphosphonates as the most promising therapy to inhibit bone resorption and thereby facilitate bone formation. Surgical treatment ensures pain reduction and healing without an increase of deformities. Timely remobilization and regular strengthening of the muscles by physiotherapy are crucial to improve mobility, prevent muscle wasting and avoid bone resorption caused by immobilization. Identification of the pathomechanism for SERPINF1 mutations led to the development of a tailored mechanism-based therapy using denosumab, and unraveling further pathomechanisms will likely open new avenues for innovative treatment approaches.

Graphical Abstract Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a hereditary skeletal disorder primarily affecting collagen type I structure and function, causing bone fragility and occasionally versatile extraskeletal symptoms. This study expands the spectrum of OI‐causing TAPT1 mutations and links extracellular matrix changes to signaling regulation.

Despite the successful introduction of potent anti-cancer therapeutics, most of these drugs lead to only modest tumor-shrinkage or transient responses, followed by re-growth of tumors. Combining different compounds has resulted in enhanced tumor control and prolonged survival. However, methods querying the efficacy of such combinations have been hampered by limited scalability, analytical resolution, statistical feasibility, or a combination thereof. We have developed a theoretical framework modeling cellular viability as a stochastic lifetime process to determine synergistic compound combinations from high-throughput cellular screens. We apply our method to data derived from chemical perturbations of 65 cancer cell lines with two inhibitors. Our analysis revealed synergy for the combination of both compounds in subsets of cell lines. By contrast, in cell lines in which inhibition of one of both targets was sufficient to induce cell death, no synergy was detected, compatible with the topology of the oncogenically activated signaling network. In summary, we provide a tool for the measurement of synergy strength for combination perturbation experiments that might help define pathway topologies and direct clinical trials.

Background Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a hereditary disease causing reduced bone mass, increased fracture rate, long bone deformities and vertebral compressions. Additional non skeletal findings are caused by impaired collagen function and include hyperlaxity of joints and blue sclera. Most OI cases are caused by dominant mutations in COL1A1/2 affecting bone formation. During the last years, recessive forms of OI have been identified, mostly affecting posttranslational modification of collagen. In 2011, mutations in SERPINF1 were identified as the molecular cause of OI type VI, and thereby a novel pathophysiology of the disease was elucidated. The subgroup of patients with OI type VI are affected by an increased bone resorption, leading to the same symptoms as observed in patients with an impaired bone formation. Severely affected children are currently treated with intravenous bisphosphonates regardless of the underlying mutation and pathophysiology. Patients with OI type VI are known to have a poor response to such a bisphosphonate treatment. Method Deciphering the genetic cause of OI type VI in our 4 patients (three children and one adolescent) led to an immediate translational approach in the form of a treatment with the monoclonal RANKL antibody Denosumab (1 mg/kg body weight every 12 weeks). Results Short-term biochemical response to this treatment was reported previously. We now present the results after 2 years of treatment and demonstrate a long term benefit as well as an increase of bone mineral density, a normalization of vertebral shape, an increase of mobility, and a reduced fracture rate. Conclusion This report presents the first two-year data of denosumab treatment in patients with Osteogenesis imperfecta type VI and in Osteogenesis imperfecta in general as an effective and apparently safe treatment option.

Primary intraosseous vascular malformation (VMPI, #606893) is an ultra-rare disorder caused by biallelic pathogenic variants in ELMO2 . To date, only six families with pathogenic ELMO2 variants causing a VMPI phenotype have been described. VMPI is characterized by vascular malformations that compress the facial bones, often leading to life-threatening complications, such as massive bleeding and intracranial herniation. In VMPI, vascular malformations are progressive and there is no causal therapy available. We report on four unreported individuals with classical VMPI harbouring biallelic truncating variants in ELMO2 , including a novel homozygous 25 bp duplication c.579_603dup; p.(Leu202Profs*47), detected by whole-exome sequencing. We present extensive clinical follow-up data, including a close monitoring of an individual from prenatal diagnosis onwards. Using computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging angiography, we described the radiological characteristics of vascular malformations with fast-flow properties in the affected individuals. Additionally, we conducted a comprehensive histopathological evaluation of samples from one individual. This analysis revealed not only the similar morphological features described previously but also some atypical findings, such as increased de novo bone formation. Furthermore, we report for the first time the use of propranolol and sirolimus in VMPI. While we noted a reduction of bleeding episodes in one individual, no significant clinical improvement was observed overall in the other individuals treated with sirolimus. Moreover, sirolimus led to severe infectious complications with abscess formation in two individuals. Conversely, propranolol was relatively well tolerated, although it did not result in any notable clinical outcomes. During follow-up, one individual died due to severe bleeding.

Coffin–Siris syndrome (CSS) is a rare multisystemic autosomal dominant disorder. Since 2012, alterations in genes of the SWI/SNF complex were identified as the molecular basis of CSS, studying largely pediatric cohorts. Therefore, there is a lack of information on the phenotype in adulthood, particularly on the clinical outcome in adulthood and associated risks. In an international collaborative effort, data from 35 individuals ≥ 18 years with a molecularly ascertained CSS diagnosis (variants in ARID1B, ARID2, SMARCA4, SMARCB1, SMARCC2, SMARCE1, SOX11, BICRA) using a comprehensive questionnaire was collected. Our results indicate that overweight and obesity are frequent in adults with CSS. Visual impairment, scoliosis, and behavioral anomalies are more prevalent than in published pediatric or mixed cohorts. Cognitive outcomes range from profound intellectual disability (ID) to low normal IQ, with most individuals having moderate ID. The present study describes the first exclusively adult cohort of CSS individuals. We were able to delineate some features of CSS that develop over time and have therefore been underrepresented in previously reported largely pediatric cohorts, and provide recommendations for follow-up.

Purpose Pathogenic variants in ARID1B are one of the most frequent causes of intellectual disability (ID) as determined by large-scale exome sequencing studies. Most studies published thus far describe clinically diagnosed Coffin–Siris patients (ARID1B-CSS) and it is unclear whether these data are representative for patients identified through sequencing of unbiased ID cohorts (ARID1B-ID). We therefore sought to determine genotypic and phenotypic differences between ARID1B-ID and ARID1B-CSS. In parallel, we investigated the effect of different methods of phenotype reporting. Methods Clinicians entered clinical data in an extensive web-based survey. Results 79 ARID1B-CSS and 64 ARID1B-ID patients were included. CSS-associated dysmorphic features, such as thick eyebrows, long eyelashes, thick alae nasi, long and/or broad philtrum, small nails and small or absent fifth distal phalanx and hypertrichosis, were observed significantly more often ( p  < 0.001) in ARID1B-CSS patients. No other significant differences were identified. Conclusion There are only minor differences between ARID1B-ID and ARID1B-CSS patients. ARID1B-related disorders seem to consist of a spectrum, and patients should be managed similarly. We demonstrated that data collection methods without an explicit option to report the absence of a feature (such as most Human Phenotype Ontology-based methods) tended to underestimate gene-related features.

Complete uniparental isodisomy (iUPD)—the presence of two identical chromosomes in an individual that originate from only a single parental homolog—is an underestimated cause of recessive Mendelian disease in humans. Correctly identifying iUPD in an index patient is of enormous consequence to correctly counseling the family/couple, as the recurrence risk for siblings is reduced from 25% to usually <1%. In medium/large-scale NGS analyses, we found that complete iUPD can be rapidly and straightforwardly inferred from a singleton dataset (index patient only) through a simple chromosome- and genotype-filtering step in <1 min. We discuss the opportunities of iUPD detection in medium/large-scale NGS analyses by example of a case of CHRNG-associated multiple pterygium syndrome due to complete maternal iUPD. Using computer simulations for several detection thresholds, we validate and estimate sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV), and negative predictive values (NPV) of the proposed screening method for reliable detection of complete iUPD. When screening for complete iUPD, our models suggest that a >85% proportion of homozygous calls on a single chromosome with ≥30 sufficiently interspaced called variants results in a sensitivity of 97.9% and specificity of 99.7%. The PPV is 95.1%, the NPV 99.9%. When this threshold is exceeded for a chromosome on which a patient harbors an apparently homozygous disease-associated variant, it should be sufficient cause to discuss iUPD as a plausible or probable mechanism of disease in the genetic analysis report, even when parental segregation has not (yet) been performed.