NBIA NEWS & INFORMATION

2023 Million Dollar Bike Ride Results in $120,000 for BPAN Research

March 2024

By Patricia Wood

The 10th annual Million Dollar Bike Ride (MDBR), hosted by the University of Pennsylvania’s Orphan Disease Center, resulted in two NBIA researchers each receiving a $60,000 grant to study Beta-Propeller Protein-Associated Neurodegeneration (BPAN).

NBIA Disorders Association has participated in this annual event, raising funds for research since 2018. In all, ten BPAN research grants have been awarded, totaling $590,714.

Our organization prepares the request for proposals and selects the grant reviewers. The University of Pennsylvania manages the grants and sends us copies of the scientific reports that grant recipients provide. They also provide $30,000 in matching funds for the first $30,000 raised. The current funding period runs from February 1, 2024 – January 31, 2025.

Our two grant recipients are Dr. Mario Mauthe from the University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands, and Dr. Manju Kurian from University College London, United Kingdom.

Dr. Mario Mauthe, University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands

When mutated, the WDR45 gene codes for a protein called WDR45, which leads to BPAN. This protein is involved in autophagy, a process responsible for degrading and recycling damaged cellular components. The mutated WDR45 protein also affects cellular organelles called mitochondria, which play vital roles in energy production, metabolism regulation and immunity. Mitochondrial dysfunction is not unique to BPAN and is also observed in several other NBIA disorders, such as PKAN, CoPAN, PLAN and MPAN.

This project will investigate how mutations in WDR45 affect and interfere with mitochondria structure and function and how these alterations contribute to the BPAN pathophysiology. In particular, they will look at WDR45’s role in maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis and they will also identify potential drugs reversing mitochondrial dysfunction caused by WDR45 mutations.

To understand the role of WDR45 in mitochondrial dysfunction, Mauthe’s team will focus on studying the proteins involved in mitochondrial functions that are misregulated in WDR45 defective cells. For their investigations, they will use various cutting-edge research methods such as proteomic analyses, generation of induced neurons from patient fibroblasts, automated live cell imaging, and ultrastructural examination of mitochondria.

In addition, they aim to identify pharmaceutical compounds that can rescue mitochondrial dysfunctions observed in WDR45 defective cells. They will utilize an automated imaging system to evaluate drug effects on these cellular phenotypes.

Dr. Manju Kurian, University College London, United Kingdom

Our other grant recipient, Kurian, is focusing on gene therapy for BPAN. Her group has experience working on gene therapy for PLA2G6-Associated Neurodegeneration (PLAN), another NBIA disorder, which Bloomsbury Genetic Therapies Limited is now moving forward.

The project proposes to develop gene therapy to deliver a healthy copy of the faulty BPAN gene directly into the brain. The aim is to establish a state-of-the-art laboratory model of disease (a ‘brain in a dish’) and use an excellent mouse model that shows key features of human disease to evaluate this gene therapy approach and see whether it rescues the problems caused by the faulty gene in BPAN.

A successful gene therapy study in their laboratory will allow them to accelerate a clinical gene therapy trial for children with BPAN. They hope gene therapy will halt disease progression, increase life expectancy, and provide a better quality of life for individuals and their families living with this condition.

We are grateful for the long-time support of Mauthe and Kurian and their dedication to NBIA research. These grants would not have been possible without the commitment of our community members who participate in fundraising for the Million Dollar Bike Ride each year. We also thank the Orphan Disease Center for their generous $30,000 match and their eagerness to fuel research for rare diseases.

Advancing PKAN Gene Therapy: A Collaborative Effort

March 2024

By Amber Denton

Pantothenate Kinase - Associated Neurodegeneration (PKAN) gene therapy continues to move forward due to dedication from veteran researchers and newly found partnerships.

In 2019, a significant stride in PKAN research was made when the NBIA Disorders Association, in collaboration with sister NBIA organizations AISNAF (Italy) and Hoffnungsbaum e.V. (Germany), provided initial funding to Dr. Lauriel Earley at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill to initiate gene therapy research. However, scientific endeavors are often subject to unexpected shifts.

Earley's decision to discontinue her PKAN work necessitated a seamless transition to Dr. Susan Hayflick at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). In 2019, Hayflick committed to taking the reins, bringing with her a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to advancing PKAN research. Dr. Suh Young Jeong, Hayflick’s scientific team leader since 2014, was able to carry the project to completion with very promising results.

The project's changing of hands has continued to breathe life into PKAN gene therapy.

Recently, Hayflick was contacted by the Loving Loic Foundation, a nonprofit started by Sherine and Mark Blackford in honor of their son, Loic, who has PKAN. The Blackfords were personally interested in the advancement of gene therapy and offered their support.

The Loving Loic Foundation facilitated an introduction to Dr. Miguel Sena-Esteves and Dr. Heather Gray-Edwards at the Horae Gene Therapy Center at UMass Chan Medical School (UMass.) Sena-Esteves, an expert in developing adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene therapies, and Gray-Edwards, an expert in utilizing animal models to enhance understanding of disease progression, agreed to partner with Hayflick’s team. Additionally, Dr. Penelope Hogarth from OHSU joined the team, bringing years of PKAN experience and expertise in clinical trial design. The clinical trial team also includes Allison Gregory, genetic counselor, Dr. Jenny Wilson, child neurologist, and Alison Freed, clinical research coordinator.

Recent progress reports show that the team is redesigning the gene therapy drug to optimize its therapeutic effects. Using the PKAN mouse colony that the OHSU team developed over the past two decades, they will test several redesigned products to determine which performs best. This elaborate process is expected to require at least two years to complete, depending on U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) input. While these critical experiments are underway, they will also be hard at work designing and preparing for the clinical trial. It is imperative that regular meetings with the FDA are held at every step of the process. FDA feedback and suggestions may impact the timeline of progress. Currently, the team is unsure when a clinical trial for PKAN gene therapy will begin, but they also feel the urgency like those in the PKAN family community do.

As the researchers are making great strides in the laboratory, the Loving Loic Foundation continues to play a pivotal role in supporting this collaborative endeavor, providing crucial financial backing and advocacy efforts, recently receiving a $21,000 grant to bring the total amount raised to $182,036 (including in-kind donations) towards the $5 million project goal. If you are interested in learning more, fundraising or contributing to this cause, please visit lovingloic.org or contact Sherine Blackford at info@lovingloic.org.

$60,000 Grant Awarded to study decreased Mitochondrial Energy Production in BPAN

December 2023

Dr. Arcangela Iuso from the Helmholtz Zentrum München’s Institute of Neurogenomics in Munich, Germany, has been awarded a one-year grant of $60,000 from our organization. Her project was selected from seven applications submitted for our BPAN grant call this past spring.

Arcangela Iuso, from the Helmholtz Zentrum München’s Institute of Neurogenomics in Munich, Germany.

Iuso’s project focuses on understanding why mutations in the WDR45 gene lead to reduced energy production by mitochondria, considered the powerhouses of the cells. This defect was initially pinpointed in the brain tissue of a BPAN mouse model. It appeared to be linked to the malfunctioning of a specific mitochondrial enzyme known as Respiratory Chain Complex I (RCCI), a discovery that Iuso co-authored in a 2021 publication available here.

Recently, the defect of RCCI was also identified in muscle and skin cells of a BPAN patient with the findings presented by Dr. Anna Ardissonne at the 8th International NBIA Symposium held last October in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Iuso's current project aims to clarify if the enzymatic issue affects all brain cells uniformly or if specific cell populations, such as neurons or their supporting cells, are more susceptible. To investigate this, Iuso's laboratory will generate neurons and supportive cells using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from the skin cells of individuals affected by BPAN. This methodology will help pinpoint the precise brain cell type the enzymatic deficiency impacts.

The subsequent phase involves exploring therapeutic compounds that could potentially restore the enzymatic activity of RCCI within the laboratory setting. Iuso aims to evaluate natural compounds or FDA-approved molecules in the hopes of identifying a potential therapeutic approach for BPAN.