The Pan HDAC Inhibitor Givinostat Improves Muscle Function And
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Licandro et al. Skeletal Muscle (2021) 11:19 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13395-021-00273-6 RESEARCH Open Access The pan HDAC inhibitor Givinostat improves muscle function and histological parameters in two Duchenne muscular dystrophy murine models expressing different haplotypes of the LTBP4 gene Simonetta Andrea Licandro1,2* , Luca Crippa3, Roberta Pomarico4, Raffaella Perego4, Gianluca Fossati1, Flavio Leoni4 and Christian Steinkühler1 Abstract Background: In the search of genetic determinants of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) severity, LTBP4,a member of the latent TGF-β binding protein family, emerged as an important predictor of functional outcome trajectories in mice and humans. Nonsynonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms in LTBP4 gene associate with prolonged ambulation in DMD patients, whereas an in-frame insertion polymorphism in the mouse LTBP4 locus modulates disease severity in mice by altering proteolytic stability of the Ltbp4 protein and release of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). Givinostat, a pan-histone deacetylase inhibitor currently in phase III clinical trials for DMD treatment, significantly reduces fibrosis in muscle tissue and promotes the increase of the cross-sectional area (CSA) of muscles in mdx mice. In this study, we investigated the activity of Givinostat in mdx and in D2.B10 mice, two mouse models expressing different Ltbp4 variants and developing mild or more severe disease as a function of Ltbp4 polymorphism. Methods: Givinostat and steroids were administrated for 15 weeks in both DMD murine models and their efficacy was evaluated by grip strength and run to exhaustion functional tests. Histological examinations of skeletal muscles were also performed to assess the percentage of fibrotic area and CSA increase. Results: Givinostat treatment increased maximal normalized strength to levels that were comparable to those of healthy mice in both DMD models. The effect of Givinostat in both grip strength and exhaustion tests was dose- dependent in both strains, and in D2.B10 mice, Givinostat outperformed steroids at its highest dose. The in vivo treatment with Givinostat was effective in improving muscle morphology in both mdx and D2.B10 mice by reducing fibrosis. * Correspondence: [email protected] 1New Drug Incubator, Italfarmaco S.p.A., Milan, Italy 2University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy Full list of author information is available at the end of the article © The Author(s). 2021 Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data. Licandro et al. Skeletal Muscle (2021) 11:19 Page 2 of 22 Conclusion: Our study provides evidence that Givinostat has a significant effect in ameliorating both muscle function and histological parameters in mdx and D2.B10 murine models suggesting a potential benefit also for patients with a poor prognosis LTBP4 genotype. Keywords: Duchenne nuscular dystrophy, Givinostat, mdx, D2.B10, LTBP4, HDAC inhibitor Background predictor of functional outcome trajectories. The LTBP4 Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a lethal X- gene encodes the latent transforming growth factor-β linked disorder that leads to muscle wasting with an (TGF-β)-binding protein (Ltbp) 4 that binds TGF-β in average incidence of 1:3500 newborn males. DMD is due the extracellular matrix, sequestering this cytokine [16– to mutations in the gene encoding dystrophin, which 18]. During inflammatory processes, TGF-β is released cause the absence of the protein. The lack of dystrophin from the Ltbp4 complex by proteolysis of the proline- leads to muscle fiber degeneration, activation of chronic rich hinge domain. This cleavage leads to the activation inflammatory pathways and progressive muscle tissue re- of TGF-β [19]. Once liberated from the complex, free placement by fibroblasts and adipocytes, triggering the TGF-β regulates collagen deposition and promotes fi- process leading to fibrosis development [1]. In DMD brotic processes [20]. During the physiological healing muscles, the normal regenerative pathways are subverted process, a transient release of TGF-β is necessary, and the abnormal substitution of damaged muscle fibers whereas sustained pro-inflammatory cytokine levels con- by fibrotic and adipose tissue leads to a severe reduction tribute to the pathological tissue degeneration processes, in muscle function. The main causes of the reduced life such as fibrosis [21]. High TGF-β levels have been span of DMD patients are severe respiratory insuffi- shown to correlate with the severity of muscle fibrosis in ciency, due to the weakening of the diaphragm (DIA), DMD [21]. and cardiac failure [2]. In humans, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) To date there is no standard therapy for DMD patients have been identified in the Ltbp4 protein, which origin- that leads to the healing of the disease; however, gluco- ate VTTT and IAAM haplotypes [17]. DMD patients corticoid (GC) steroid treatment, corrective orthopedic homozygous for the IAAM Ltbp4 haplotype remained surgery, and assisted ventilation can contribute to im- ambulatory significantly longer (12.5 ± 3.3 years) than prove the quality of life of patients and to delay disease those homozygous for the VTTT haplotype (10.7 ± 2.1 progression [3]. Attempts to specifically target individual years) [17]. In addition, IAAM fibroblasts exposed to mutations have recently led to the approval of exon TGF-β show a reduction in phospho-SMAD levels when skipping oligonucleotides (Eteplirsen, Golodirsen, and compared to VTTT fibroblasts, in line with the concept Vitolarsen) by the FDA [4–6] and Ataluren for patients that LTBP4 regulates TGF-β activity [17, 22, 23]. with nonsense mutations by EMA [7, 8]. Only a minority There are two mouse strains that mimic the two dif- mdx of patients can benefit from these treatments, and the ferent human Ltbp4 haplotypes: C57BL10ScSn-Dmd / mainstay of disease management is GC steroids. GC J (hereafter referred to as mdx) have a 12-amino-acid in- steroid treatment (mainly prednisone and Deflazacort) sertion in the proline-rich region of Ltbp4. This contrib- was shown to beneficially influence all disease trajector- utes to a mild DMD phenotype due to a lower sensitivity ies, including survival and prolonged ambulation in to proteolysis and a reduced activation of TGF-β as it DMD patients [9–11], but this benefit comes at the cost occurs in the human IAAM haplotype [16]; D2.B10- mdx of significant side effects such as body weight (BW) in- Dmd /J (hereafter referred to as D2.B10) have a 12- crease, growth stunting, Cushing-like symptoms, mood amino-acid deletion in the same Ltbp4 region and func- changes, increased incidence of fractures, and suscepti- tionally resemble the human VTTT haplotype (severe bility to infections [12, 13]. Paradoxically, chronic GC DMD phenotype due to increased sensitivity to proteoly- steroid administration may promote muscle atrophy, sis and increased TGF-β activity) [16]. Mdx mice harbor and mdx mice subjected to chronic GC steroid treat- a spontaneous point mutation in exon 23 of the dys- ment show a significant impairment of heart function trophin gene, leading to the loss of dystrophin [24] and and an increase of cardiac fibrosis, suggesting that pro- are routinely used as a rodent model of the DMD dis- longed steroid treatment may be detrimental to dys- ease even though it has a milder phenotype as compared trophic heart muscle [14, 15]. Thus, there is a clear need to DMD patients and a normal lifespan. The compara- for a broadly active and well-tolerated treatment for tively mild phenotype of mdx mice can also be attributed DMD patients. to the compensatory function of the dystrophin-related Recently, in the search of genetic determinants of protein utrophin, which is highly upregulated in regener- DMD severity, the LTBP4 gene emerged as an important ating muscle fibers in adult mdx mutants, except for the Licandro et al. Skeletal Muscle (2021) 11:19 Page 3 of 22 DIA muscle [24]. The D2.B10 strain, created by back- Materials and methods crossing mdx mice onto the DBA/2J background, may Animal experiments be a superior DMD model as it better recapitulates sev- Study approval eral of the human characteristics of the DMD myopathy Procedures involving animals and their care were carried (reduced hindlimb muscle weight, fewer and atrophied out in conformity with institutional guidelines in com- myofibers, increased fibrosis, fat deposition and inflam- pliance with national and international laws and policies matory infiltrate, muscle weakness) when compared to (Italian Governing Law: D.lgs