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Niemann-Pick disease type C (NP-C) is a hereditary neurovisceral lipid storage disorder. Although traditionally considered a primary cholesterol storage disorder, a variety of glycolipids accumulate in NP-C cells, which resemble those from glycosphingolipidosis patients. Substrate reduction therapy (SRT) with miglustat, an inhibitor of glycosphingolipid biosynthesis, is a novel therapy for the glycosphingolipidoses. We report the use of SRT in a patient with NP-C. We show that depletion of glycosphingolipids by miglustat treatment reduces pathological lipid storage, improves endosomal uptake and normalises lipid trafficking in peripheral blood B lymphocytes. The demonstration that treatment with miglustat, which has no direct effect on cholesterol metabolism, corrects the abnormal lipid trafficking seen in B lymphocytes in NP-C indicates that glycosphingolipid accumulation is the primary pathogenetic event in NP-C. These observations support the use of SRT in patients with this devastating neurodegenerative disease.

Original publication

DOI

10.1016/j.nbd.2004.05.002

Type

Journal article

Journal

Neurobiol Dis

Publication Date

08/2004

Volume

16

Pages

654 - 658

Keywords

Adult, Boron Compounds, Cells, Cultured, Endocytosis, Endosomes, Female, Fibroblasts, Fluorescent Dyes, Glucosylceramidase, Glycolipids, Humans, Lysosomes, Niemann-Pick Diseases