LAUSR.org creates dashboard-style pages of related content for over 1.5 million academic articles. Sign Up to like articles & get recommendations!

Drug screening identifies tazarotene and bexarotene as therapeutic agents in multiple sulfatase deficiency

Photo by nci from unsplash

Multiple sulfatase deficiency (MSD, MIM #272200) results from pathogenic variants in the SUMF1 gene that impair proper function of the formylglycine‐generating enzyme (FGE). FGE is essential for the posttranslational activation… Click to show full abstract

Multiple sulfatase deficiency (MSD, MIM #272200) results from pathogenic variants in the SUMF1 gene that impair proper function of the formylglycine‐generating enzyme (FGE). FGE is essential for the posttranslational activation of cellular sulfatases. MSD patients display reduced or absent sulfatase activities and, as a result, clinical signs of single sulfatase disorders in a unique combination. Up to date therapeutic options for MSD are limited and mostly palliative. We performed a screen of FDA‐approved drugs using immortalized MSD patient fibroblasts. Recovery of arylsulfatase A activity served as the primary readout. Subsequent analysis confirmed that treatment of primary MSD fibroblasts with tazarotene and bexarotene, two retinoids, led to a correction of MSD pathophysiology. Upon treatment, sulfatase activities increased in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner, reduced glycosaminoglycan content decreased and lysosomal position and size normalized. Treatment of MSD patient derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) differentiated into neuronal progenitor cells (NPC) resulted in a positive treatment response. Tazarotene and bexarotene act to ultimately increase the stability of FGE variants. The results lay the basis for future research on the development of a first therapeutic option for MSD patients.

Keywords: tazarotene bexarotene; sulfatase; sulfatase deficiency; multiple sulfatase; msd

Journal Title: EMBO Molecular Medicine
Year Published: 2023

Link to full text (if available)


Share on Social Media:                               Sign Up to like & get
recommendations!

Related content

More Information              News              Social Media              Video              Recommended



                Click one of the above tabs to view related content.