Duality. Earlier this week, our Luxembourg collaborators came to visit us at CHOP to discuss our current and future projects. We discussed potential overlaps between the diseases that both our groups are mainly involved in, namely Parkinson’s disease and genetic epilepsies. In fact, we had just published on one of the overlapping genes recently, a gene that we accidentally stumbled upon through our genome sequencing projects. Here is the story of SYNJ1, a gene involved in neurodegenerative phenotypes that link early-onset Parkinson’s disease and epileptic encephalopathy. Continue reading
Monthly Archives: August 2016
The two faces of GABRA1 – from familial epilepsy to epileptic encephalopathy
Inhibition. GABA is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the the Central Nervous System. Given that epilepsy is typically associated with increased excitability, all mechanisms related to GABA signaling are of natural interest to the epilepsy community. Almost 15 years ago, mutations in GABRA1, coding for alpha-1 subunit of the GABA-A receptor, have been identified in familial Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy, but there has been relative silence around this gene since. Now, two publications highlight the other side of GABRA1 as a gene for epileptic encephalopathies, putting the GABA receptor into the spotlight again.
Nothing’s for sure, that’s for sure: Evaluating variants of uncertain significance
VUS. In recent EpiGC posts, we discussed how laboratories evaluate sequence variants and the challenges of communicating variants of uncertain significance (VUS) to patients. While VUS results can be frustrating, by working together clinicians and laboratories may accumulate additional evidence that enables a more definitive variant classification. But how, you ask? Well, there are several ways . . .
The GRIN spirit – entering a new era of collaborative pediatric genomics
Completed. Last week, we completed the recruitment for one of the more visionary projects at CHOP that we are involved in – the epilepsy pilot project of the Genomics Research and Innovation Network (GRIN), a collaboration between CHOP, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Here is my personal take on GRIN and why I think that forming, building, and expanding GRIN is so important in our current research environment. Continue reading
Five things I learned about SCN2A in Chicago
SCN2A. Last Thursday, I hopped on a plane to Chicago to join the first FamilieSCN2a Foundation Conference. SCN2A, one of the most common genes in genetic epilepsies, has emerged as a gene with a broad range of phenotypes, which makes understanding this gene relatively complicated. I am very happy that the SCN2A community is currently coming together to provide a platform for patient initiatives and connections to clinicians and researchers. Here is my list of five things I learned about the genetic shape-shifter in Chicago. Continue reading
