Therapeutic approaches for neuronopathic lysosomal storage disorders

J Inherit Metab Dis. 2010 Aug;33(4):373-9. doi: 10.1007/s10545-010-9047-0. Epub 2010 Feb 17.

Abstract

Therapy of the central nervous system (CNS) manifestations of lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) has remained a major challenge because of its inability to deliver therapeutic agents efficiently across the intact blood-brain barrier. Non-specific therapies such as hematopoietic stem cell transplantation have been useful in globoid cell leukodystrophy (Krabbe disease) and in some mucopolysaccharidoses. Anti-inflammatory agents also show promise as adjuvant therapy. High doses of replacement therapy with native or modified enzyme show renewed promise for correction of CNS cells. Alternatively, small molecules can enter the brain relatively easily and promote reduction of accumulated substrate or function as pharmacological chaperones to enhance the level of the deficient enzyme. Gene therapy is still being developed and tested in patients. It is therefore likely that, thanks to a better understanding of disease mechanism, a variety of therapeutic approaches, used alone or in combination, will be useful to treat the devastating neurological complications of LSDs.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use
  • Enzyme Replacement Therapy*
  • Genetic Therapy*
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation*
  • Humans
  • Lysosomal Storage Diseases / drug therapy*
  • Lysosomal Storage Diseases / prevention & control

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents