glycogen

People with late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) rarely have genetic variations in genes that are important for making glycogen in muscle cells, a new study suggests. “We did not find a single variant that strongly affected the phenotype,” or observable characteristics in patients that result from the expression of a…

Stem cell-mediated gene therapy normalized glycogen build-up in muscle, heart, and brain tissue of a Pompe disease mouse model, a study shows. Treatments also restored cellular defects and motor impairment associated with the condition. The researchers recommended stem cell-based gene therapy as a candidate for future clinical development. The…

When strangers notice the differences between my son, Cayden, and other 4-year-olds, they usually have a lot of questions. While I genuinely don’t mind taking the time to educate and inform people about infantile-onset Pompe disease, explaining things over and over can be a bit overwhelming. I can’t expect people…

Pompe disease is a rare, progressive, neuromuscular genetic disorder characterized by muscle damage and weakness. Fatigue, excessive daytime sleepiness, and sleep disturbances are common, especially in the late-onset form of the disease. How Pompe disease may affect sleep As Pompe disease progresses, the abnormal buildup of glycogen — sugar molecules…

Scientists have created a new mouse model of Pompe disease that displays the severe respiratory impairments experienced by many patients but were never observed in other animal models of the disorder. Using this more stringent model, investigators also demonstrated the therapeutic potential of a new form of gene…

Pompe disease is a rare disease in which glycogen, a complex sugar molecule, builds up in cells and tissues. This buildup interferes with function, especially in muscles. Changes to diet and feeding methods may help alleviate or slow the progression of some disease symptoms. One dietary…

Long-term enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) to treat people with Pompe disease loses effectiveness in maintaining walking ability, muscle strength, and lung function, a new study shows. Despite these results, ERT improved lung function when compared to the predicted outcome without ERT, and some patients responded…

Muscle repair in Pompe disease is compromised by failed activation of muscle cells’ precursors called satellite cells (SCs), according to a study of mice. The study, “Satellite cells fail to contribute to muscle repair but are functional in Pompe disease (glycogenosis type II),” was published in…

Researchers have proposed a cheap, simple, and more sensitive screening test to identify Pompe disease and differentiate it from other neuromuscular disorders. The study, “Vacuolated PAS‐positive lymphocytes as an hallmark of Pompe disease and other myopathies related to impaired autophagy,” was published in the Journal of Cellular Physiology.