Journal Article

Targeting CRM1 for Progeria Syndrome Therapy

Soto‐Ponce, Adriana, Zavaleta, Tania, Soberano‐Nieto, Angelica, Gonzalo, Susana, Candelario‐Martínez, Aurora, García‐Aguirre, Ian, Cortez, Diego, Nava, Porfirio, Magaña, Jonathan J., Unzueta, Juan, Arrieta‐Cruz, Isabel, Cisneros, Bulmaro, De Ita, Marlon, Landesman, Yosef, Castro‐Obregón, Susana

2025

Overview

Hutchinson‐Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a premature aging disease caused by progerin, a mutant variant of lamin A. Progerin anchors aberrantly to the nuclear envelope disrupting a plethora of cellular processes, which in turn elicits senescence. We previously showed that the chromosomal region maintenance 1 (CRM1)‐driven nuclear export pathway is abnormally enhanced in patient‐derived fibroblasts, due to overexpression of CRM1. Interestingly, pharmacological inhibition of CRM1 using leptomycin B rescues the senescent phenotype of HGPS fibroblasts, delineating CRM1 as a potential therapeutic target against HGPS. As a proof of concept, we analyzed the beneficial effects of pharmacologically modulating CRM1 in dermal fibroblasts from HGPS patients and the LMNAG609G/G609G mouse, using the first‐in‐class selective inhibitor of CRM1 termed selinexor. Remarkably, treatment of HGPS fibroblasts with selinexor mitigated senescence and promoted progerin clearance via autophagy, while at the transcriptional level restored the expression of numerous differentially‐expressed genes and rescued cellular processes linked to aging. In vivo, oral administration of selinexor to the progeric mouse resulted in decreased progerin immunostaining in the liver and aorta, decreased progerin levels in most liver, lung and kidney samples analyzed by immunoblotting, and improved aortic histopathology. Collectively our data indicate that selinexor exerts its geroprotective action by at least two mechanisms: normalizing the nucleocytoplasmic partition of proteins with a downstream effect on the aging‐associated transcriptome and decreasing progerin levels. Further investigation of the overall effect of selinexor on LmnaG609G/G609G mouse physiology, with emphasis in cardiovascular function is warranted, to determine its therapeutic utility for HGPS and aging‐associated disorders characterized by CRM1 overactivity. Pharmacological inhibition of CRM1 mediated by selinexor, the first‐in‐class selective inhibitor of CRM1, mitigates the senescent phenotype of Hutchinson‐Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) patients‐derived primary fibroblasts. Treatment of HGPS fibroblasts with selinexor promotes the clearances of progerin via autophagy activation, restores the expression of numerous differentially expressed genes, and rescues various aging‐linked cellular processes. Oral administration of selinexor to the LmnaG609G/G609G progeric mouse decreased progerin immunostaining in the liver and aorta and improved aortic histopathology.

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc,John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subject: Aging / Amino acids / Animals / Aorta / Apoptosis / Autophagy / Cell culture / Cell cycle / Cellular Senescence - drug effects / Exportin 1 Protein / Fibroblasts / Fibroblasts - drug effects / Fibroblasts - metabolism / Genes / Genetic transcription / Health aspects / Humans / Hydrazines - pharmacology / Hydrazines - therapeutic use / Immunoblotting / Karyopherins - antagonists & inhibitors / Karyopherins - genetics / Karyopherins - metabolism / Lamin Type A - genetics / Lamin Type A - metabolism / Leptomycin B / Liver / Mice / Morphology / Nuclear transport / Oral administration / Phenotypes / Physiological aspects / Progeria / Progeria - drug therapy / Progeria - genetics / Progeria - metabolism / Progeria - pathology / Proteins / Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear - antagonists & inhibitors / Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear - genetics / Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear - metabolism / Senescence / Therapeutic targets / Transcriptomes / Triazoles - pharmacology / Triazoles - therapeutic use