ABSTRACT
Isolated hypoglossal nerve (CN XII) palsy is rare. Neurological complications of multiple myeloma (MM) are quite common, most often due to hyperviscosity and paraprotein-related neuropathy. Direct compression of CN XII can be caused by plasmacytoma, yet direct invasion by MM is extremely rare. We are reporting a very unusual case of a 45-year-old man who presented with an isolated right CN XII palsy. The cause revealed by MRI is stenosis of the hypoglossal canal resulting from lytic bony erosion. Despite negative serum and urine protein electrophoresis tests, the final diagnosis of oligosecretory MM was confirmed by serum-free light chain test and bone marrow biopsy. The causes and diagnosis of isolated XII nerve palsy and oligosecretory MM are discussed.
ABSTRACT
The Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway is aberrantly activated in colorectal (CRC) and many other cancers, and novel strategies for effectively targeting it may be needed due to its complexity. In this report, SM08502, a novel small molecule in clinical development for the treatment of solid tumors, was shown to reduce Wnt pathway signaling and gene expression through potent inhibition of CDC-like kinase (CLK) activity. SM08502 inhibited serine and arginine rich splicing factor (SRSF) phosphorylation and disrupted spliceosome activity, which was associated with inhibition of Wnt pathway-related gene and protein expression. Additionally, SM08502 induced the generation of splicing variants of Wnt pathway genes, suggesting that its mechanism for inhibition of gene expression includes effects on alternative splicing. Orally administered SM08502 significantly inhibited growth of gastrointestinal tumors and decreased SRSF phosphorylation and Wnt pathway gene expression in xenograft mouse models. These data implicate CLKs in the regulation of Wnt signaling and represent a novel strategy for inhibiting Wnt pathway gene expression in cancers. SM08502 is a first-in-class CLK inhibitor being investigated in a Phase 1 clinical trial for subjects with advanced solid tumors (NCT03355066).
Subject(s)
Colorectal Neoplasms/drug therapy , Protein Kinase Inhibitors/pharmacology , Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/antagonists & inhibitors , Protein-Tyrosine Kinases/antagonists & inhibitors , Serine-Arginine Splicing Factors/metabolism , Stomach Neoplasms/drug therapy , Wnt Signaling Pathway/drug effects , Alternative Splicing/drug effects , Animals , Apoptosis/drug effects , Cell Line, Tumor , Cell Proliferation/drug effects , Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects , Gene Knockout Techniques , Humans , Inhibitory Concentration 50 , Mice , Phosphorylation/drug effects , Protein Kinase Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/genetics , Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism , Protein-Tyrosine Kinases/genetics , Protein-Tyrosine Kinases/metabolism , Rats , Stomach Neoplasms/pathology , Wnt Signaling Pathway/genetics , Xenograft Model Antitumor AssaysABSTRACT
A copy-number variant (CNV) of 16p11.2 encompassing 30 genes is associated with developmental and psychiatric disorders, head size, and body mass. The genetic mechanisms that underlie these associations are not understood. To determine the influence of 16p11.2 genes on development, we investigated the effects of CNV on craniofacial structure in humans and model organisms. We show that deletion and duplication of 16p11.2 have "mirror" effects on specific craniofacial features that are conserved between human and rodent models of the CNV. By testing dosage effects of individual genes on the shape of the mandible in zebrafish, we identify seven genes with significant effects individually and find evidence for others when genes were tested in combination. The craniofacial phenotypes of 16p11.2 CNVs represent a model for studying the effects of genes on development, and our results suggest that the associated facial gestalts are attributable to the combined effects of multiple genes.
Subject(s)
Autistic Disorder/genetics , Chromosome Disorders/genetics , Craniofacial Abnormalities/genetics , DNA Copy Number Variations/genetics , Intellectual Disability/genetics , Chromosome Deletion , Chromosomes, Human, Pair 16/genetics , Female , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
Copy number variants (CNVs) of a 600 kb region on 16p11.2 are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders and changes in brain volume. The authors hypothesize that abnormal brain development associated with this CNV can be attributed to changes in transcriptional regulation. The authors determined the effects of 16p11.2 dosage on gene expression by transcription profiling of lymphoblast cell lines derived from 6 microdeletion carriers, 15 microduplication carriers and 15 controls. Gene dosage had a significant influence on the transcript abundance of a majority (20/34) of genes within the CNV region. In addition, a limited number of genes were dysregulated in trans. Genes most strongly correlated with patient head circumference included SULT1A, KCTD13, and TMEM242. Given the modest effect of 16p11.2 copy number on global transcriptional regulation in lymphocytes, larger studies utilizing neuronal cell types may be needed in order to elucidate the signaling pathways that influence brain development in this genetic disorder.
