CGG repeat expansion in LRP12 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the degeneration of motor neurons. Although repeat expansion in C9orf72 is its most common cause, the pathogenesis of ALS isn't fully clear. In this study, we show that repeat expansion in LRP12, a causative variant of oculopharyngodistal myopathy type 1 (OPDM1), is a cause of ALS. We identify CGG repeat expansion in LRP12 in five families and two simplex individuals. These ALS individuals (LRP12-ALS) have 61-100 repeats, which contrasts with most OPDM individuals with repeat expansion in LRP12 (LRP12-OPDM), who have 100-200 repeats. Phosphorylated TDP-43 is present in the cytoplasm of iPS cell-derived motor neurons (iPSMNs) in LRP12-ALS, a finding that reproduces the pathological hallmark of ALS. RNA foci are more prominent in muscle and iPSMNs in LRP12-ALS than in LRP12-OPDM. Muscleblind-like 1 aggregates are observed only in OPDM muscle. In conclusion, CGG repeat expansions in LRP12 cause ALS and OPDM, depending on the length of the repeat. Our findings provide insight into the repeat length-dependent switching of phenotypes.

Nusinersen versus Sham Control in Later-Onset Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

BACKGROUND: Nusinersen is an antisense oligonucleotide drug that modulates pre-messenger RNA splicing of the survival motor neuron 2 ( SMN2) gene. It has been developed for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, double-blind, sham-controlled, phase 3 trial of nusinersen in 126 children with SMA who had symptom onset after 6 months of age. The children were randomly assigned, in a 2:1 ratio, to undergo intrathecal administration of nusinersen at a dose of 12 mg (nusinersen group) or a sham procedure (control group) on days 1, 29, 85, and 274. The primary end point was the least-squares mean change from baseline in the Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale-Expanded (HFMSE) score at 15 months of treatment; HFMSE scores range from 0 to 66, with higher scores indicating better motor function. Secondary end points included the percentage of children with a clinically meaningful increase from baseline in the HFMSE score (≥3 points), an outcome that indicates improvement in at least two motor skills. RESULTS: In the prespecified interim analysis, there was a least-squares mean increase from baseline to month 15 in the HFMSE score in the nusinersen group (by 4.0 points) and a least-squares mean decrease in the control group (by -1.9 points), with a significant between-group difference favoring nusinersen (least-squares mean difference in change, 5.9 points; 95% confidence interval, 3.7 to 8.1; P<0.001). This result prompted early termination of the trial. Results of the final analysis were consistent with results of the interim analysis. In the final analysis, 57% of the children in the nusinersen group as compared with 26% in the control group had an increase from baseline to month 15 in the HFMSE score of at least 3 points (P<0.001), and the overall incidence of adverse events was similar in the nusinersen group and the control group (93% and 100%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Among children with later-onset SMA, those who received nusinersen had significant and clinically meaningful improvement in motor function as compared with those in the control group. (Funded by Biogen and Ionis Pharmaceuticals; CHERISH ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02292537 .).

Expert recommendations and clinical considerations in the use of onasemnogene abeparvovec gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive, neurodegenerative disease caused by biallelic mutations in the survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene. SMA is characterized by motor neuron degeneration, resulting in progressive muscle atrophy and weakness. Before the emergence of disease-modifying therapies, children with the most severe form of SMA would never achieve the ability to sit independently. Only 8% survived beyond 20 months of age without permanent ventilator support. One such therapy, onasemnogene abeparvovec, an adeno-associated virus-based gene replacement therapy, delivers functional human SMN through a one-time intravenous infusion. In addition to substantially improving survival, onasemnogene abeparvovec was found to increase motor milestone attainment and reduce the need for respiratory or nutritional support in many patients. This expert opinion provides recommendations and practical considerations on the patient-centered decisions to use onasemnogene abeparvovec. Recommendations include the need for patient-centered multidisciplinary care and patient selection to identify those with underlying medical conditions or active infections to reduce risks. We also describe the importance of retesting patients with elevated anti-adeno-associated virus serotype 9 antibodies. Recommendations for prednisolone tapering and monitoring for potential adverse events, including hepatotoxicity and thrombotic microangiopathy, are described. The need for caregiver education on managing day-to-day care at time of treatment and patient- and family-centered discussions on realistic expectations are also recommended. We detail the importance of following standard-of-care guidance and long-term monitoring of all children with SMA who have received one or more disease-modifying therapy using registries. We also highlight the need for presymptomatic or early symptomatic treatment of this disorder.

Nusinersen versus Sham Control in Infantile-Onset Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

BACKGROUND: Spinal muscular atrophy is an autosomal recessive neuromuscular disorder that is caused by an insufficient level of survival motor neuron (SMN) protein. Nusinersen is an antisense oligonucleotide drug that modifies pre-messenger RNA splicing of the SMN2 gene and thus promotes increased production of full-length SMN protein. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, phase 3 efficacy and safety trial of nusinersen in infants with spinal muscular atrophy. The primary end points were a motor-milestone response (defined according to results on the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination) and event-free survival (time to death or the use of permanent assisted ventilation). Secondary end points included overall survival and subgroup analyses of event-free survival according to disease duration at screening. Only the first primary end point was tested in a prespecified interim analysis. To control the overall type I error rate at 0.05, a hierarchical testing strategy was used for the second primary end point and the secondary end points in the final analysis. RESULTS: In the interim analysis, a significantly higher percentage of infants in the nusinersen group than in the control group had a motor-milestone response (21 of 51 infants [41%] vs. 0 of 27 [0%], P<0.001), and this result prompted early termination of the trial. In the final analysis, a significantly higher percentage of infants in the nusinersen group than in the control group had a motor-milestone response (37 of 73 infants [51%] vs. 0 of 37 [0%]), and the likelihood of event-free survival was higher in the nusinersen group than in the control group (hazard ratio for death or the use of permanent assisted ventilation, 0.53; P=0.005). The likelihood of overall survival was higher in the nusinersen group than in the control group (hazard ratio for death, 0.37; P=0.004), and infants with a shorter disease duration at screening were more likely than those with a longer disease duration to benefit from nusinersen. The incidence and severity of adverse events were similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Among infants with spinal muscular atrophy, those who received nusinersen were more likely to be alive and have improvements in motor function than those in the control group. Early treatment may be necessary to maximize the benefit of the drug. (Funded by Biogen and Ionis Pharmaceuticals; ENDEAR ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02193074 .).

Genetic abnormalities in a large cohort of Coffin-Siris syndrome patients.

Coffin-Siris syndrome (CSS, MIM#135900) is a congenital disorder characterized by coarse facial features, intellectual disability, and hypoplasia of the fifth digit and nails. Pathogenic variants for CSS have been found in genes encoding proteins in the BAF (BRG1-associated factor) chromatin-remodeling complex. To date, more than 150 CSS patients with pathogenic variants in nine BAF-related genes have been reported. We previously reported 71 patients of whom 39 had pathogenic variants. Since then, we have recruited an additional 182 CSS-suspected patients. We performed comprehensive genetic analysis on these 182 patients and on the previously unresolved 32 patients, targeting pathogenic single nucleotide variants, short insertions/deletions and copy number variations (CNVs). We confirmed 78 pathogenic variations in 78 patients. Pathogenic variations in ARID1B, SMARCB1, SMARCA4, ARID1A, SOX11, SMARCE1, and PHF6 were identified in 48, 8, 7, 6, 4, 1, and 1 patients, respectively. In addition, we found three CNVs including SMARCA2. Of particular note, we found a partial deletion of SMARCB1 in one CSS patient and we thoroughly investigated the resulting abnormal transcripts.

Clinical and mutational spectrum of Japanese patients with recessive variants in SH3TC2.

SH3TC2, known as the causative gene of autosomal recessive demyelinating Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 4C (CMT4C), was also found linked to a mild mononeuropathy of the median nerve with an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern. Using DNA microarray, Illumina MiSeq, and Ion proton, we carried out gene panel sequencing among 1483 Japanese CMT patients, containing 397 patients with demyelinating CMT. From seven patients with demyelinating CMT, we identified eight recessive variants in the SH3TC2 gene, consisting of five novel (pathogenic/likely pathogenic) and three reported variants. Additionally, from two patients with axonal CMT, we detected a reported recessive variant, p.Arg77Trp, which was herein reclassified as variant with unknown significance. Of the seven CMT4C patients (six females and one male), 2/7 patients developed symptoms at their first decade, and 5/7 patients lost their ambulation around age 50. Scoliosis was observed from more than half (4/7) of these patients, whereas hearing loss is the most common symptom of central nervous system (6/7). No median nerve mononeuropathy was recorded from their family members. We identified recessive variants in SH3TC2 from 1.76% of demyelinating CMT patients. An uncommon gender difference was recognized and the wild spectrum of these variants suggests mutational diversity of SH3TC2 in Japan.

Deep-intronic variant of fukutin is the most prevalent point mutation of Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy in Japan.

Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy (FCMD), which is caused by mutations in the fukutin gene, is the second most common form of childhood muscular dystrophy in Japan. The founder haplotype is the most prevalent in the chromosomes of Japanese FCMD patients, and corresponds to an SVA retrotransposal insertion in the 3'-untranslated region of fukutin. Although other mutations have been reported, the mutation corresponding to the second most prevalent haplotype in Japanese FCMD patients remained unknown. Recently a deep-intronic point mutation c.647+2084G>T was identified in Korean patients with congenital muscular dystrophy. Here, we performed mutational analysis of 10 patients with the second most prevalent haplotype and found that all of them were compound-heterozygous for the SVA insertion and this c.647+2084G>T mutation. The fukutin mRNA of these patients contained a pseudoexon between exon 5 and exon 6, which was consistent with the previous Korean study. As expected, the mutated fukutin protein was smaller than the normal protein, reflecting the truncation of fukutin due to a premature stop codon. Immunostaining analysis showed a decrease in the signal for the glycosylated form of α-dystroglycan. These findings indicated that this mutation is the second most prevalent loss-of-function mutation in Japanese FCMD patients.

Learning colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection: a prospective learning curve study using a novel ex vivo simulator.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is increasingly being used in Asia as a minimally invasive therapy to eradicate large laterally spreading superficial tumors in the colon. To date, the learning curve and effectiveness of ex vivo simulators in colonic ESD training remain unclear. The aim of the study is to determine the learning curve of colonic ESD in an ex vivo simulator. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study of colon ESD in ex vivo porcine colons in a prototype simulator. Three endoscopists with prior experience in gastric ESD but with no experience in colonic ESD each performed 30 ESD resections on standardized lesions in the rectosigmoid and left colon of the porcine simulator. Procedure time, en bloc resection status, and perforation were recorded. RESULTS: All 90 lesions were resected using the ESD technique. The mean time of procedure was 49.6 min (standard deviation 29.6 min). The aggregate rate of perforation was 14.4% and the aggregate rate of non-en bloc resection was 5.6%. Using a composite quality score integrating complications and procedural time, it was found that there was a significant difference between two local polynomial regression lines when using a cut-point at the 9th procedure (p = 0.04), reflecting the point at which most of the learning curve is traversed. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, there were significant improvements realized in colonic ESD performance after 9 colon ESD procedures in ex vivo specimens. Although training will depend on endoscopist skill and expertise, we suggest at least 9 ex vivo procedures prior to moving to live animal or proctored training in colonic ESD.

Genetic Counseling for Couples Seeking Noninvasive Prenatal Testing in Japan: Experiences of Pregnant Women and their Partners.

The recent advent of noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) has had a significant impact in the field of prenatal testing. Although reports on pregnant women who used NIPT have accumulated, little is known about the experiences of their male partners. In this study, we assessed the experiences of couples who were expecting a child and undergoing NIPT, with a focus on both the pregnant women and their partners. Questionnaires were administered to 282 participants focusing on their specific experiences at three time points: after pre-test counseling (first visit), when undergoing NIPT (second visit), and when results were received (third visit). Responses were analyzed to assess the differences between pregnant women and their partners. We found that more partners selected "family" as their first information source about NIPT and "my partner" as the first person to request NIPT than did pregnant women (35.6 vs. 5.9 %; p < 0.001 and 19.3 vs.1.5 %; p < 0.001). However, pregnant women more often consulted others including family and friends until undergoing NIPT than their partners (89.1 vs. 54.6 %; p < 0.001). Our findings suggest that it is important to encourage male partners to be actively involved in the NIPT decision-making process. Differences between pregnant women and their partners should be seriously considered when providing genetic counseling.

Target resequencing of neuromuscular disease-related genes using next-generation sequencing for patients with undiagnosed early-onset neuromuscular disorders.

Neuromuscular disorders are clinically and genetically heterogeneous diseases with broadly overlapping clinical features. Progress in molecular genetics has led to the identification of numerous causative genes for neuromuscular disorders, but Sanger sequencing-based diagnosis remains labor-intensive and expensive because the genes are large, the genotypes and phenotypes of neuromuscular disorders overlap and multiple genes related to a single phenotype exist. Recently, the advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS) has enabled efficient, concurrent examination of several related genes. Thus, we used NGS for target resequencing of neuromuscular disease-related genes from 42 patients in whom undiagnosed early-onset neuromuscular disorders. Causative genes were identified in 19/42 (45.2%) patients (six, congenital muscular dystrophy; two, Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD); three, limb-girdle muscular dystrophy; one, concurrent BMD and Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy; three, nemaline myopathy; one, centronuclear myopathy; one, congenital fiber-type disproportion; one, myosin storage myopathy; and one, congenital myasthenic syndrome). We detected variants of uncertain significance in two patients. In 6/19 patients who received a definitive diagnosis, the diagnosis did not require muscle biopsy. Thus, for patients with suspected neuromuscular disorders not identified using conventional genetic testing alone, NGS-based target resequencing has the potential to serve as a powerful tool that allows definitive diagnosis.

Gorlin syndrome with an ovarian leiomyoma associated with a PTCH1 second hit.

We describe a Gorlin syndrome (GS) case with two different second hit mutations of PTCH1, one in a keratocystic odontogenic tumor (KCOT) and the other in an ovarian leiomyoma. GS is a rare genetic condition manifesting as multiple basal cell nevi associated with other features such as medulloblastomas, skeletal abnormalities, and ovarian fibromas. A 21-year-old Japanese woman with a history of two KCOTs was diagnosed with GS according to clinical criteria. A PTCH1 mutation, c.1427del T, was detected in peripheral blood. A novel PTCH1 mutation, c.264_265insAATA, had been found in the maxillary KCOT as a second hit mutation. More recently, the ovarian tumor was detected during a gynecological examination. Laparoscopic adnexectomy was performed, and the pathological diagnosis of the ovarian tumor was leiomyoma. Interestingly, another novel mutation, loss of heterozygosity spanning from 9q22.32 to 9q31.2, including PTCH1 and 89 other genes, was detected in this ovarian tumor, providing evidence of a second hit mutation. This is the first report describing a GS-associated ovarian tumor carrying a second hit in the PTCH1 region. We anticipate that accumulation of more cases will clarify the importance of second hit mutations in ovarian tumor formation in GS.

A new method for SMN1 and hybrid SMN gene analysis in spinal muscular atrophy using long-range PCR followed by sequencing.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive neuromuscular disorder characterized by progressive loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord. Approximately 95% of SMA patients have a homozygous deletion of the survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene, whereas 5% harbor compound heterozygous mutations such as an SMN1 deletion allele and an intragenic mutation in the other SMN1 allele. It is difficult to detect intragenic mutations in SMN1 because of the high degree of homology shared between SMN1 and SMN2. Current methods analyze a restricted region from exon 2a to exon 7 in SMN1. We propose a new, efficient long-range polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for detecting intragenic mutations in SMN1 (exon 1-8) and hybrid SMN genes. We analyzed 20 unrelated SMA patients using SMN copy number analysis, and the new long-range PCR method followed by sequencing. We thus confirmed a novel mutation in SMN1 exon 1 (c.5C>T) in three patients with SMA type III who also had an SMN1 deletion allele. Moreover, we confirmed three hybrid SMN gene types in eight patients. We report a novel SMN1 mutation responsible for a relatively mild SMA phenotype and three hybrid SMN gene types in patients with SMA type III.

A Rapid, Accurate and Simple Screening Method for Spinal Muscular Atrophy: High-Resolution Melting Analysis Using Dried Blood Spots on Filter Paper.

BACKGROUND: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a common neuromuscular disorder caused by mutation of the survival of the motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene. More than 95% of SMA patients carry a homozygous deletion of SMN1. SMA can be screened for by polymerase chain reaction and high-resolution melting analysis (PCR-HRMA) using DNA extracted from dried blood spots (DBSs) stored on filter paper. However, there are two major problems with this approach. One is the frequent poor quality/quantity of DNA extracted from DBSs on filter paper, and the other is the difficulty in designing primer sets or probes to separate allele-specific melting curves. In this study, we addressed these problems and established a rapid, accurate and simple screening system for SMA with PCR-HRMA using DNA extracted from DBSs on filter paper. METHODS: Seventy individuals were assayed in this study, 42 SMA patients and 28 controls, all of whom had been previously been screened for SMA by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (PCR-RFLP) using DNA extracted from freshly collected blood. In this study, the DNA of each individual was extracted from dried blood that had been spotted onto cards and stored at room temperature (20 - 25 degrees C) for between 1 and 8 years. PCR amplification of 30 or 45 cycles was performed using 50 ng of DNA and was immediately followed by HRMA. SMN1 and SMN2 products were co-amplified using a previously designed primer set (R111 and 541C770) containing two single nucleotide differences. RESULTS: The absorbance ratio at 260/280 of DNA extracted from DBSs ranged from 1.49 to 2.1 (mean ± SD; 1.66 ± 0.12), suggesting high-purity DNA. Thirty cycles of PCR amplification were insufficient to amplify the target alleles; PCR with 45 cycles was, however, successful in 69 out of 70 samples. PCR-HRMA using the R111/541C770 primer set enabled separation of the normalized melting curves of the samples with no SMN1 from those with SMN1 and SMN2. CONCLUSIONS: DBSs on filter paper can be a good source of DNA for the diagnosis of diseases and PCR-HRMA using DNA extracted from DBSs is an alternative method to detect the SMN1 deletion. These findings suggest that the SMA screening system using PCR-HRMA with DBSs on filter paper is practicable in a large population study over a long time period.

A novel evaluation method of survival motor neuron protein as a biomarker of spinal muscular atrophy by imaging flow cytometry.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is caused by mutations within the survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene. These mutations result in the reduction of survival motor neuron (SMN) protein expression and SMN complex in spinal motor neurons and other tissues. SMN protein has been used as a therapeutic biomarker in recent SMA clinical studies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Here, we investigated whether imaging flow cytometry can be a viable source of quantitative information on the SMN protein. Using a FlowSight imaging flow cytometer (Merck-Millipore, Germany), we demonstrated that imaging flow cytometry could successfully identify different expression patterns and subcellular localization of SMN protein in healthy human fibroblasts and SMA patient-derived fibroblasts. In addition, we could also evaluate the therapeutic effects of SMN protein expression by valproic acid treatment of SMA patient-derived cells in vitro. Therefore, we suggest that imaging flow cytometry technology has the potential for identifying SMN protein expression level and pattern as an evaluation tool of clinical studies.

Molecular epidemiology and clinical spectrum of hereditary spastic paraplegia in the Japanese population based on comprehensive mutational analyses.

Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) is one of the most genetically heterogeneous neurodegenerative disorders characterized by progressive spasticity and pyramidal weakness of lower limbs. Because >30 causative genes have been identified, screening of multiple genes is required for establishing molecular diagnosis of individual patients with HSP. To elucidate molecular epidemiology of HSP in the Japanese population, we have conducted mutational analyses of 16 causative genes of HSP (L1CAM, PLP1, ATL1, SPAST, CYP7B1, NIPA1, SPG7, KIAA0196, KIF5A, HSPD1, BSCL2, SPG11, SPG20, SPG21, REEP1 and ZFYVE27) using resequencing microarrays, array-based comparative genomic hybridization and Sanger sequencing. The mutational analysis of 129 Japanese patients revealed 49 mutations in 46 patients, 32 of which were novel. Molecular diagnosis was accomplished for 67.3% (33/49) of autosomal dominant HSP patients. Even among sporadic HSP patients, mutations were identified in 11.1% (7/63) of them. The present study elucidated the molecular epidemiology of HSP in the Japanese population and further broadened the mutational and clinical spectra of HSP.

The spectrum of ZEB2 mutations causing the Mowat-Wilson syndrome in Japanese populations.

Mowat-Wilson syndrome (MWS) is a multiple congenital anomaly syndrome characterized by moderate or severe intellectual disability, a characteristic facial appearance, microcephaly, epilepsy, agenesis or hypoplasia of the corpus callosum, congenital heart defects, Hirschsprung disease, and urogenital/renal anomalies. It is caused by de novo heterozygous loss of function mutations including nonsense mutations, frameshift mutations, and deletions in ZEB2 at 2q22. ZEB2 encodes the zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 2 protein consisting of 1,214 amino acids. Herein, we report 13 nonsense and 27 frameshift mutations from 40 newly identified MWS patients in Japan. Although the clinical findings of all the Japanese MWS patients with nonsense and frameshift mutations were quite similar to the previous review reports of MWS caused by nonsense mutations, frameshift mutations and deletions of ZEB2, the frequencies of microcephaly, Hirschsprung disease, and urogenital/renal anomalies were small. Patients harbored mutations spanning the region between the amino acids 55 and 1,204 in wild-type ZEB2. There was no obvious genotype-phenotype correlation among the patients. A transfection study demonstrated that the cellular level of the longest form of the mutant ZEB2 protein harboring the p.D1204Rfs*29 mutation was remarkably low. The results showed that the 3'-end frameshift mutation of ZEB2 causes MWS due to ZEB2 instability.

Clinical, biochemical and molecular analysis of 13 Japanese patients with ß-ureidopropionase deficiency demonstrates high prevalence of the c.977G > A (p.R326Q) mutation [corrected].

ß-ureidopropionase (ßUP) deficiency is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by N-carbamyl-ß-amino aciduria. To date, only 16 genetically confirmed patients with ßUP deficiency have been reported. Here, we report on the clinical, biochemical and molecular findings of 13 Japanese ßUP deficient patients. In this group of patients, three novel missense mutations (p.G31S, p.E271K, and p.I286T) and a recently described mutation (p.R326Q) were identified. The p.R326Q mutation was detected in all 13 patients with eight patients being homozygous for this mutation. Screening for the p.R326Q mutation in 110 Japanese individuals showed an allele frequency of 0.9 %. Transient expression of mutant ßUP enzymes in HEK293 cells showed that the p.E271K and p.R326Q mutations cause profound decreases in activity (≤ 1.3 %). Conversely, ßUP enzymes containing the p.G31S and p.I286T mutations possess residual activities of 50 and 70 %, respectively, suggesting we cannot exclude the presence of additional mutations in the non-coding region of the UPB1 gene. Analysis of a human ßUP homology model revealed that the effects of the mutations (p.G31S, p.E271K, and p.R326Q) on enzyme activity are most likely linked to improper oligomer assembly. Highly variable phenotypes ranging from neurological involvement (including convulsions and autism) to asymptomatic, were observed in diagnosed patients. High prevalence of p.R326Q in the normal Japanese population indicates that ßUP deficiency is not as rare as generally considered and screening for ßUP deficiency should be included in diagnosis of patients with unexplained neurological abnormalities.

Syneresis-Driven Self-Refilling Printing of Geometry/Component-Controlled Nano/Microstructures.

Nano/microfabrication is of fundamental importance both in scientific and industrial situations. There are, therefore, many attempts at realizing easier, quicker, and more precise fabrication of various structures; however, achieving this aim without a bulky and costly setup is still challenging. Here, we introduce a facile and versatile means of printing an ordered structure consisting of nanoscale stripes and more complicated geometries including pillars and wavy form with a lateral resolution of single micrometers. To this end, we prepare a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) slab with an oxygen plasma-induced wrinkled surface where liquid PDMS exudes by syneresis. Since this liquid PDMS is automatically loaded, the printing is repeatable without inking. A substrate moderately wettable to the liquid PDMS as well as amount/property-controlled syneresis is primarily important for the creation of well-defined structures. Precisely controlling these conditions will make this method universally applicable to diverse substrates and liquids including suspensions.