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Targeting ferroptosis: A novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of mitochondrial disease-related epilepsy. PloS one Kahn-Kirby, A. H., Amagata, A., Maeder, C. I., Mei, J. J., Sideris, S., Kosaka, Y., Hinman, A., Malone, S. A., Bruegger, J. J., Wang, L., Kim, V., Shrader, W. D., Hoff, K. G., Latham, J. C., Ashley, E. A., Wheeler, M. T., Bertini, E., Carrozzo, R., Martinelli, D., Dionisi-Vici, C., Chapman, K. A., Enns, G. M., Gahl, W., Wolfe, L., Saneto, R. P., Johnson, S. C., Trimmer, J. K., Klein, M. B., Holst, C. R. 2019; 14 (3): e0214250

Abstract

Mitochondrial disease is a family of genetic disorders characterized by defects in the generation and regulation of energy. Epilepsy is a common symptom of mitochondrial disease, and in the vast majority of cases, refractory to commonly used antiepileptic drugs. Ferroptosis is a recently-described form of iron- and lipid-dependent regulated cell death associated with glutathione depletion and production of lipid peroxides by lipoxygenase enzymes. Activation of the ferroptosis pathway has been implicated in a growing number of disorders, including epilepsy. Given that ferroptosis is regulated by balancing the activities of glutathione peroxidase-4 (GPX4) and 15-lipoxygenase (15-LO), targeting these enzymes may provide a rational therapeutic strategy to modulate seizure. The clinical-stage therapeutic vatiquinone (EPI-743, a-tocotrienol quinone) was reported to reduce seizure frequency and associated morbidity in children with the mitochondrial disorder pontocerebellar hypoplasia type 6. We sought to elucidate the molecular mechanism of EPI-743 and explore the potential of targeting 15-LO to treat additional mitochondrial disease-associated epilepsies.Primary fibroblasts and B-lymphocytes derived from patients with mitochondrial disease-associated epilepsy were cultured under standardized conditions. Ferroptosis was induced by treatment with the irreversible GPX4 inhibitor RSL3 or a combination of pharmacological glutathione depletion and excess iron. EPI-743 was co-administered and endpoints, including cell viability and 15-LO-dependent lipid oxidation, were measured.EPI-743 potently prevented ferroptosis in patient cells representing five distinct pediatric disease syndromes with associated epilepsy. Cytoprotection was preceded by a dose-dependent decrease in general lipid oxidation and the specific 15-LO product 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE).These findings support the continued clinical evaluation of EPI-743 as a therapeutic agent for PCH6 and other mitochondrial diseases with associated epilepsy.

View details for DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0214250

View details for PubMedID 30921410

View details for PubMedCentralID PMC6438538