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…
Research
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…
A newborn screening program for Pompe disease in Minnesota was found effective for getting babies with infantile-onset disease started on early treatment, but challenges remain for those with late-onset disease (LOPD). “The management of LOPD cases including the establishment of standardized follow up guidelines … and a better…
Blood levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL) — a marker of nerve cell damage — are increased from infancy to young adulthood in classic infantile-onset Pompe disease (IOPD) patients given enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), a study shows. This contrasted significantly with the blood NfL level reduction seen in…
Among children with classic infantile-onset Pompe disease (IOPD), enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) was associated with prolonged survival, but mortality rates remained high, according to a recent French study. In general, while mortality rates were high in the first three years of life, patients then stabilized on ERT for…
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…
Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for Pompe disease can be safely implemented at home, according to a study in the Netherlands. “Insights from this study can be used as a base for implementing home-based ERT in other countries and to further optimize patient care,” researchers wrote. The study, “Home-based…
Motor problems in people with Pompe disease may be explained by damage to muscle spindles, which are sensory receptors that detect muscle movement and help regulate muscle tone and maintain posture, a mouse study suggested. Muscle spindle structure and function were “severely compromised” in Pompe mice, resulting in a…
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…
A surgical technique called conjoint fascial sheath (CFS) suspension may help relieve drooping eyelids in children with infantile-onset Pompe disease (IOPD). “Surgical correction may provide a practical option for ptosis [drooping eyelid] correction in patients with IOPD,” the researchers wrote in “Blepharoptosis in infantile onset Pompe disease:…
Recent Posts
- Raising a child who has never known life without Pompe disease
- Staying on Pompe therapy during pregnancy, breastfeeding is safe: Study
- Watching my daughter suffer through infusions is an emotional tug-of-war
- Noninvasive muscle test may measure Pompe disease severity: Study
- Learning to translate the language of Pompe disease