Jaberi-Elahi syndrome: Exploring a novel GTPBP2 mutation and a literature review.

Jaberi-Elahi syndrome is an extremely rare genetic disease caused by pathogenic variants in GTPBP2. The core symptoms of this disease are intellectual disability, motor development delay, abnormal reflexes, skeletal abnormalities, and visual impairment. In this study, we describe a three-year-old girl with a novel homozygous variant in GTPBP2 and a phenotype overlapping with Jaberi-Elahi syndrome. This variant (NM_019096.5:c.1289T > C, p.Leu430Pro) was identified by Whole Exome Sequencing and confirmed by Sanger sequencing although remains classified as VUS based on ACMG criteria. The proband demonstrated motor and intellectual developmental delay, muscle weakness, language disorder, facial dysmorphism, and poor growth. Hitherto, twenty-seven individuals with Jaberi-Elahi syndrome have been reported in the literature. This study, describes a review of the symptoms related to the Jaberi-Elahi syndrome. A large numbers of patients manifest motor development delay (26/28), sparse hair (26/28), and speech disorder (24/28). Moreover, a significant fraction of patients suffer from intellectual disability (23/28), hypotonia (23/28), skeletal problems (23/28), and visual impairment (18/28). In spite of previous patients, the proband in this study did not exhibit any skeletal abnormalities. In summary, we present evidence implicating a novel missense variant in Jaberi-Elahi syndrome, expanding and refining the genetic spectrum of this condition.

Two siblings with PEX11B-related peroxisome biogenesis disorder.

The PEX11ß gene contains four exons and encodes peroxisomal membrane protein 11ß, which is involved in peroxisome proliferation and division. Pathogenic variants in this gene result in a rare genetic disorder with autosomal recessive inheritance called peroxisome biogenesis disorder 14B (MIM: 614920). Here, we report two affected siblings with a novel variant (NM_003846: c.11G > A, p. Trp4Ter) in the PEX11ß gene that was identified by whole exome sequencing and confirmed by Sanger sequencing. The proband is a 22-year-old Iranian female who was born to consanguineous parents. The homozygous variant (NM_003846: c.11G > A, p. Trp4Ter) in the PEX11ß gene was identified in the proband, who presented with cataracts, strabismus, nystagmus, intellectual disability, developmental delay, speech disorders, dry skin, and behavioral problems. Her younger affected brother, who had the same homozygous variant, suffered from similar but slightly milder symptoms. This paper reports the seventh family in the world with novel pathogenic variants in the PEX11ß gene as the cause of peroxisome biogenesis disorder 14B. Additionally, the phenotypes of the previously reported patients are reviewed. Some of the phenotypes, such as bilateral congenital cataracts and intellectual disability, were present in all patients. However, other observed symptoms in previous cases, such as abnormal gait, myopia, abnormal muscle strength, hearing loss, gastrointestinal problems, skeletal disorders, and seizures, were not observed in the patients of this study. Further studies on this disorder could be valuable in determining the precise phenotype characteristics of this disease.

Partial Reprogramming as a Method for Regenerating Neural Tissues in Aged Organisms.

Aging causes numerous age-related diseases, leading the human species to death. Nevertheless, rejuvenating strategies based on cell epigenetic modifications are a possible approach to counteract disease progression while getting old. Cell reprogramming of adult somatic cells toward pluripotency ought to be a promising tool for age-related diseases. However, researchers do not have control over this process as cells lose their fate, and cause potential cancerous cells or unexpected cell phenotypes. Direct and partial reprogramming were introduced in recent years with distinctive applications. Although direct reprogramming makes cells lose their identity, it has various applications in regeneration medicine. Temporary and regulated in vivo overexpression of Yamanaka factors has been shown in several experimental contexts to be achievable and is used to rejuvenate mice models. This regeneration can be accomplished by altering the epigenetic adult cell signature to the signature of a younger cell. The greatest advantage of partial reprogramming is that this method does not allow cells to lose their identity when they are resetting their epigenetic clock. It is a regimen of short-term Oct3/4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc expression in vivo that prevents full reprogramming to the pluripotent state and avoids both tumorigenesis and the presence of unwanted undifferentiated cells. We know that many neurological age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke, dementia, and Parkinson's disease, are the main cause of death in the last decades of life. Therefore, scientists have a special tendency regarding neuroregeneration methods to increase human life expectancy.