TBC1D24, DOORS Syndrome, and the unexpected heterogeneity of recessive epilepsies

The return of TBC1D24. In 2010, the TBC1D24 gene was the first gene for human epilepsies to be discovered through next generation sequencing techniques. Ever since, this gene has been a mystery, as the phenotypes of the families with recessive mutations in this gene varied widely. Now, a recent paper in Lancet Neurology finds recessive TBC1D24 mutations in a large proportion of patients with DOORS syndrome, a rare distinct autosomal recessive syndrome with deafness, onychodystrophy, osteodystrophy, intellectual disability (mental retardation), and seizures. This finding demonstrates that we have only just scratched the surface of the complicated genetic architecture of human epilepsies. Continue reading