Locations where antibodies bind to enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) and potentially reduce its effectiveness in treating Pompe disease can now be identified using a drop of blood, a study reports. Knowing where anti-ERT antibodies bind may help find interventions to diminish the immune responses that generate them and also…

Late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) patients who received severely under-dose treatment with enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) had a decline in physical quality of life, but an improvement in overall health, during a 14-month follow-up, a study in China shows. Being employed or enrolled in school predicted improved mental quality…

Infantile-onset Pompe disease (IOPD) patients who develop antibodies against enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) exhibit a distinct immune profile from those who don’t, according to recent research. Patients who developed these so-called high and sustained antibody titers, or HSAT, were skewed toward a type 2 immune profile, which the…

Despite being on enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for a long time, some children with infantile-onset Pompe disease (IOPD) can still develop problems in the brain and spinal cord, a small study suggests. Manifestations such as overactive bodily reflexes, encephalopathy (damage to the brain), and…

Some children with Pompe disease have dysfunctional motor neurons — the specialized nerve cells that control movement — in addition to muscle abnormalities, a new study highlights. Findings from the small study suggest that patients with motor neuron impairment may be less likely to see clinical benefits from…

Starting people with late-onset Pompe disease on enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) at any age can benefit their bone health, including reducing the risk of weak, brittle bones, or osteoporosis, a small study suggests. The study, “Effects of enzyme replacement therapy on bone density in late onset Pompe…

Hypersensitive reactions to infusions of enzyme replacement therapies (ERT) to treat late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) were primarily mild and nonallergic, a small study reported. Many reactions were reported after a year of well tolerated ERT and most of them occurred in women, data showed. After the reactions, the ERT…

Cardiac function normalized within a year of starting enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for children with classic infantile-onset Pompe disease (IOPD) and remained stable over about 10 years, a study found. The findings were confirmed with standard and more advanced techniques to look at cardiac function. In light of the…

Three siblings with Pompe disease caused by the same mutations were described in a recent report. Despite all having the same disease-causing mutations, the clinical presentation of the three children differed dramatically — one began showing symptoms in infancy, while another had not shown clinical abnormalities at the age…

Researchers in Taiwan have developed new molecules that can stabilize the acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA) enzyme, a strategy they say might improve the effectiveness of treatments for Pompe disease. Their study, “Harnessing polyhydroxylated pyrrolidines as a stabilizer of acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA) to enhance the efficacy of enzyme…