Developing therapies for spinal muscular atrophy

• Published in: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2016-02, Vol.1366 (1), p.5-19
• Main Authors: Wertz, Mary H., Sahin, Mustafa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; antisense oligonucleotides; Atrophy; clinical trials; Clinical Trials as Topic - methods; DNA Repair Enzymes - biosynthesis; DNA Repair Enzymes - genetics; gene therapy; Genes; Genetic Therapy - methods; Genetic Therapy - trends; Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors - administration & dosage; Humans; Medical services; Motors; Muscular Atrophy, Spinal - genetics; Muscular Atrophy, Spinal - metabolism; Muscular Atrophy, Spinal - therapy; Neurons; Neuroprotective Agents - administration & dosage; Nuclear Proteins - biosynthesis; Nuclear Proteins - genetics; Oligonucleotides, Antisense - administration & dosage; Oligonucleotides, Antisense - genetics; Patients; Proteins; Ribonucleic acids; spinal muscular atrophy; Therapy
• ISSN: 0077-8923; 1749-6632
• DOI: 10.1111/nyas.12813

Spinal muscular atrophy is an autosomal‐recessive pediatric neurodegenerative disease characterized by loss of spinal motor neurons. It is caused by mutation in the gene survival of motor neuron 1 (SMN1), leading to loss of function of the full‐length SMN protein. SMN has a number of functions in neurons, including RNA splicing and snRNP biogenesis in the nucleus, and RNA trafficking in neurites. The expression level of full‐length SMN protein from the SMN2 locus modifies disease severity. Increasing full‐length SMN protein by a small amount can lead to significant improvements in the neurological phenotype. Currently available interventions for spinal muscular atrophy patients are physical therapy and orthopedic, nutritional, and pulmonary interventions; these are palliative or supportive measures and do not address the etiology of the disease. In the past decade, there has been a push for developing therapeutics to improve motor phenotypes and increase life span of spinal muscular atrophy patients. These therapies are aimed primarily at restoration of full‐length SMN protein levels, but other neuroprotective treatments have been investigated as well. Here, we discuss recent advances in basic and clinical studies toward finding safe and effective treatments of spinal muscular atrophy using gene therapy, antisense oligonucleotides, and other small molecule modulators of SMN expression.