Idursulfase

Can Idursulfase affect normal individuals who want to grow taller?

The Effect of Recombinant Human Iduronate-2-Sulfatase (Idursulfase) on Growth in Young Patients with Mucopolysaccharidosis Type II.

“Mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPS II; Hunter syndrome) is an X-linked, recessive, lysosomal storage disorder caused by deficiency of iduronate-2-sulfatase. Early bone involvement leads to decreased growth velocity and short stature in nearly all patients. [We] investigate the effects of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with idursulfase (Elaprase) on growth in young patients with mucopolysaccharidosis type II. Analysis of longitudinal anthropometric data of MPS II patients (group 1, n = 13) who started ERT before 6 years of age (range from 3 months to 6 years, mean 3.6 years, median 4 years) was performed and then compared with retrospective analysis of data for MPS II patients naïve to ERT (group 2, n = 50). Patients in group 1 received intravenous idursulfase at a standard dose of 0.58 mg/kg weekly for 52-288 weeks. The course of average growth curve for group 1 was very similar to growth pattern in group 2. The average value of body height in subsequent years in group 1 was a little greater than in group 2, however, the difference was not statistically significant. In studied patients with MPS II, idursulfase did not appear to alter the growth patterns. ”

So idursulfase therapy only seems to have an impact when used before 6 years of age.

“Mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPS II, Hunter syndrome, OMIM# 309900) is caused by the deficiency of the enzyme iduronate-2-sulfatase (I2S; EC 3.1.6.13) that is responsible for breaking down heparan and dermatan sulfate (HS and DS) within the cells”

I don’t think idursulfase will have an impact on “normal” individuals.  And it’s only having above a certain threshold of the enzyme affects height.