StemCell Therapy

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) now includes spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) as part of its newborn screening effort.

The addition of SMA the 49th disorder in the states screening program means that every baby born in Illinois will be tested for the autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disease that affectsone in every 8,000 to 10,000 people worldwide.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy is a disease that robs people of physical strength, including the ability to walk, eat, or breathe, Ngozi Ezike, MD, director of the IDPH, said in a press release. It is the number one genetic cause of death for infants. Early diagnosis of babies with SMA can lead to potentially life-saving interventions. By screening every baby born in Illinois, we hope to identify cases early so therapy can begin as soon as possible, she said.

SMA is characterized by progressive muscle weakness caused by the loss of specialized nerve cells motor neurons in the spinal cord and the part of the brain connected to the spinal cord. Because motor neurons control voluntary muscle movements, their loss leads to muscular weakness and atrophy. Movement becomes increasingly slower, and the ability to control voluntary movement ultimately may be totally lost.

Starting treatment early is the only way to prevent motor neuron loss. In fact, infants identified as having SMA should begin therapy before SMA symptoms appear. Currently, Biogens Spinraza and the gene therapy Zolgensma, developed byNovartissubsidiaryAveXis,are the only disease-modifying SMA treatments available. Other medications aim to manage SMA symptoms or prevent complications. Several experimental therapiesalso are being developed.

In 2018, SMA was added to the federal Recommended Uniform Screening Panel for newborn testing (RUSP). The RUSP is a list of disorders the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends for states universal newborn screening programs. Such disorders are chosen based on evidence that supports the potential net benefit of screening, the ability of states to screen for them, and the availability of effective therapies.

In preparation for adding SMA to its screening program, the IDPH bought new equipment, developed new test methods, and modified computer systems to provide lab results and facilitate follow-up tracking.

The agency also obtained test validation from the federalClinical Lab Improvement Amendments (CLIA). The CLIA regulate laboratory testing and require clinical labs to be certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services before they can accept human samples for diagnostic testing.

Newborn screening for SMA tests for the presence of the survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene. If testing results reveal that the gene is absent or markedly reduced in signal, immediate referral will be made to a pediatric multidisciplinary neuromuscular center for diagnostic testing and evaluation. This sitehas for more information.

Still, screening newborns for genetic diseases that have therapies that can prevent disease progression has a long way to go in the U.S. As it is, no state currently tests for all 35 disorders federally recommended, and even those that come close can be hamstrung by competing interests and obligations. Each state decides the scope of its newborn screenings.

The 2019 approval of Zolgensma Spinraza has been on the market since 2016 sparked a pushamong some scientists, physicians, and patient advocates to have all babies around the world tested for the disease.

Mary M. Chapman began her professional career at United Press International, running both print and broadcast desks. She then became a Michigan correspondent for what is now Bloomberg BNA, where she mainly covered the automotive industry plus legal, tax and regulatory issues. A member of the Automotive Press Association and one of a relatively small number of women on the car beat, Chapman has discussed the automotive industry multiple times of National Public Radio, and in 2014 was selected as an honorary judge at the prestigious Cobble Beach Concours dElegance. She has written for numerous national outlets including Time, People, Al-Jazeera America, Fortune, Daily Beast, MSN.com, Newsweek, The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press. The winner of the Society of Professional Journalists award for outstanding reporting, Chapman has had dozens of articles in The New York Times, including two on the coveted front page. She has completed a manuscript about centenarian car enthusiast Margaret Dunning, titled Belle of the Concours.

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Ana holds a PhD in Immunology from the University of Lisbon and worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Instituto de Medicina Molecular (iMM) in Lisbon, Portugal. She graduated with a BSc in Genetics from the University of Newcastle and received a Masters in Biomolecular Archaeology from the University of Manchester, England. After leaving the lab to pursue a career in Science Communication, she served as the Director of Science Communication at iMM.

Read more from the original source:
Illinois Department of Public Health Expands Newborn Screening to SMA - SMA News Today

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