Skip to main content
Log in

Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy Overview

  • Published:
Journal of Molecular Neuroscience Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy is an X-linked neuromuscular disease caused by an expanded repeat in the androgen receptor gene. The mutant protein is toxic to motor neurons and muscle. The toxicity is ligand-dependent and likely involves aberrant interaction of the mutant androgen receptor with other nuclear factors leading to transcriptional dysregulation. Various therapeutic strategies have been effective in transgenic animal models, and the challenge now is to translate these strategies into safe and effective treatment in patients.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Banno H, Katsuno M, Suzuki K et al (2009) Phase 2 trial of leuprorelin in patients with spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. Ann Neurol 65:140–150

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chevalier-Larsen ES, O’Brien CJ, Wang H et al (2004) Castration restores function and neurofilament alterations of aged symptomatic males in a transgenic mouse model of spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. J Neurosci 24:4778–4786

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chua JP, Reddy SL, Merry DE et al (2014) Transcriptional activation of TFEB/ZKSCAN3 target genes underlies enhanced autophagy in spinobulbar muscular atrophy. Hum Mol Genet 23:1376–1386

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Cortes CJ, Miranda HC, Frankowski H et al (2014a) Polyglutamine-expanded androgen receptor interferes with TFEB to elicit autophagy defects in SBMA. Nat Neurosci 17:1180–1189

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Cortes CJ, Ling SC, Guo LT et al (2014b) Muscle expression of mutant androgen receptor accounts for systemic and motor neuron disease phenotypes in spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. Neuron 82:295–307

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Doi H, Adachi H, Katsuno M et al (2013) p62/SQSTM1 differentially removes the toxic mutant androgen receptor via autophagy and inclusion formation in a spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy mouse model. J Neurosci 33:7710–7727

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fernández-Rhodes LE, Kokkinis AD et al (2011) Efficacy and safety of dutasteride in patients with spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy: a randomised placebo-controlled trial.  Lancet Neurol. 10:140–147

  • Fischbeck KH (2013) A role for androgen reduction treatment in Kennedy disease? Muscle Nerve 47:789

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Grunseich C, Zukosky K, Kats IR et al (2014a) Stem cell-derived motor neurons from spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy patients. Neurobiol Dis 70:12–20

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Grunseich C, Kats IR, Bott LC et al (2014b) Early onset and novel features in a spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy patient with a 68 CAG repeat. Neuromuscul Disord 24:978–981

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Iida M, Katsuno M, Nakatsuji H et al (2015) Pioglitazone suppresses neuronal and muscular degeneration caused by polyglutamine-expanded androgen receptors. Hum Mol Genet 24:314–329

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Katsuno M, Adachi H, Doyu M et al (2003) Leuprorelin rescues polyglutamine-dependent phenotypes in a transgenic mouse model of spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. Nat Med 9:768–773

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Katsuno M, Banno H, Suzuki K et al (2010) Efficacy and safety of leuprorelin in patients with spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (JASMITT study): a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet Neurol 9:875–884

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • La Spada A, Wilson EM, Lubahn DB, Harding AE, Fischbeck KH (1991) Androgen receptor gene mutations in X-linked spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. Nature 352:77–79

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lieberman AP, Yu Z, Murray S et al (2014) Peripheral androgen receptor gene suppression rescues disease in mouse models of spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. Cell Rep 7:774–784

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Minamiyama M, Katsuno M, Adachi H et al (2012) Naratriptan mitigates CGRP1-associated motor neuron degeneration caused by an expanded polyglutamine repeat tract. Nat Med 18:1531–1538

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Miyazaki Y, Adachi H, Katsuno M et al (2012) Viral delivery of miR-196a ameliorates the SBMA phenotype via the silencing of CELF2. Nat Med 18:1136–1141

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Palazzolo I, Burnett BG, Young JE et al (2007) Akt blocks ligand binding and protects against expanded polyglutamine androgen receptor toxicity. Hum Mol Genet 16:1593–1603

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Palazzolo I, Stack C, Kong L et al (2009) Overexpression of IGF-1 in muscle attenuates disease in a mouse model of spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. Neuron 63:316–328

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Pandey UB, Nie Z, Batlevi Y et al (2007) HDAC6 rescues neurodegeneration and provides an essential link between autophagy and the UPS. Nature 447:859–863

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rinaldi C, Bott LC, Chen KL et al (2012) Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 administration ameliorates disease manifestations in a mouse model of spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. Mol Med 18:1261–1268

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Rinaldi C, Bott LC, Fischbeck KH (2014) Muscle matters in Kennedy’s disease. Neuron 82:251–253

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Sahashi K, Katsuno M, Hung G et al (2015) Silencing neuronal mutant androgen receptor in a mouse model of spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. Hum Mol Genet 24(21):5985–5994

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shrader JA, Kats I, Kokkinis A et al (2015) A randomized controlled trial of functional exercise in spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2:739–747

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Tokui K, Adachi H, Waza M et al (2009) 17-DMAG ameliorates polyglutamine-mediated motor neuron degeneration through well-preserved proteasome function in an SBMA model mouse. Hum Mol Genet 18:898–910

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Waza M, Adachi H, Katsuno M et al (2005) 17-AAG, an Hsp90 inhibitor, ameliorates polyglutamine-mediated motor neuron degeneration. Nat Med 1:1088–1095

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang Z, Chang YJ, Yu IC et al (2007) ASC-J9 ameliorates spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy phenotype via degradation of androgen receptor. Nat Med 13:348–353

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kenneth H. Fischbeck.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Fischbeck, K.H. Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy Overview. J Mol Neurosci 58, 317–320 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12031-015-0674-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12031-015-0674-7

Keywords

Navigation