Regulation of mRNA expression of the SMN2 gene by histone deacetylase inhibitors and their influence on the phenotype of type I and II spinal muscular atrophy

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type I and II (Werdnig-Hoffmann disease) is a serious autosomal recessive neuromuscular disease in children. The SMA causing gene - survival motor neuron gene (SMN) is duplicated, with telomeric copy (SMN1) and centromeric copy (SMN2). Histone deacetylase inhibitors phenylbutyrate (PBA) and valproic acid (VPA) can modify the pattern of SMN2 splicing in SMA patients towards increase of full-length SMN2 mRNA and amount of the SMN protein. The aim of our study was to correlate SMN2 gene copy numbers and changes in expression of full length mRNA with clinical outcomes in small groups of SMA type I and II patients treated with PBA (N = 6) or VPA (N = 11). The Hammersmith functional motor scale was evaluated at baseline and after 8 weeks of medication. 2 patients out of 4 in the PBA group and 5 patients out of 11 in the VPA group showed an increase of 3 or 4 points in the Hammersmith scale. 4 patients showed the increase of 4 points in the Hammersmith scale but only 2 had significantly increased levels of full-length SMN2 mRNA. The results obtained during therapy justify future interventional trials with histone deacetylase inhibitors.