Such compensatory mechanisms could include the upregulation of Pcx in astrocytes in Npc1-/- cerebellum at 3 weeks of age and the upregulation of glycolytic gene expression (PFK, Pfk, Ldha) at 5 weeks of age (Fig 3 - 5), which could serve to counteract pyruvate build-up and energy deficits during the early symptomatic stage of NPC disease. Here, NPC1 is linked to nasopharyngeal carcinoma.