Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25514431›Full record

ArticlePloS one2014

Systems biology investigation of cAMP modulation to increase SMN levels for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy.

Sean G Mack, Daniel J Cook, Prasad Dhurjati, Matthew E R Butchbach

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 24% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 17 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Drug treatment for spinal muscular atrophy types II and III.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2020
    Pooled it
  3. Adenylyl Cyclases as Therapeutic Targets in Neuroregeneration.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Sean G MackCenter for Applied Clinical Genomics, Nemours Biomedical Research, Nemours Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, Delaware, United States of America; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, United States of America.
Daniel J CookDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, United States of America.
Prasad DhurjatiDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, United States of America.
Matthew E R ButchbachCenter for Applied Clinical Genomics, Nemours Biomedical Research, Nemours Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, Delaware, United States of America; Center for Pediatric Research, Nemours Biomedical Research, Nemours Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, Delaware, United States of America; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, United States of America; Department of Pediatrics, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
University of Delaware · USAlfred I. duPont Hospital for Children · US

Funding

Center for Pediatric ResearchP20GM103464 · NIGMS · NEMOURS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, DELAWARE · PI SHAFFER, THOMAS H · 2012 to 2014
$5.6M
NIGMS NIH HHS P20 GM103464NIGMS NIH HHS P20GM103464
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a leading genetic cause of infant death worldwide, is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by the loss of SMN1 (survival motor neuron 1), which encodes the protein SMN. The loss of SMN1 causes a deficiency in SMN protein levels leading to motor neuron cell death in the anterior horn of the spinal cord. SMN2, however, can also produce some functional SMN to partially compensate for loss of SMN1 in SMA suggesting increasing transcription of SMN2 as a potential therapy to treat patients with SMA. A cAMP response element was identified on the SMN2 promoter, implicating cAMP activation as a step in the transcription of SMN2. Therefore, we investigated the effects of modulating the cAMP signaling cascade on SMN production in vitro and in silico. SMA patient fibroblasts were treated with the cAMP signaling modulators rolipram, salbutamol, dbcAMP, epinephrine and forskolin. All of the modulators tested were able to increase gem formation, a marker for SMN protein in the nucleus, in a dose-dependent manner. We then derived two possible mathematical models simulating the regulation of SMN2 expression by cAMP signaling. Both models fit well with our experimental data. In silico treatment of SMA fibroblasts simultaneously with two different cAMP modulators resulted in an additive increase in gem formation. This study shows how a systems biology approach can be used to develop potential therapeutic targets for treating SMA.

Indexed as

AlbuterolBucladesineColforsinCyclic AMPEpinephrineFibroblastsFluorescent Antibody TechniqueHumansModels, BiologicalMonomeric GTP-Binding ProteinsMuscular Atrophy, SpinalPromoter Regions, GeneticResponse ElementsRolipramSignal TransductionSurvival of Motor Neuron 2 ProteinAlbuterolBucladesineColforsinCyclic AMPEpinephrineGEM protein, humanMonomeric GTP-Binding ProteinsRolipramSurvival of Motor Neuron 2 Protein

Identifiers

PMID25514431
PMCPMC4267815
OpenAlexW2010352525

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.