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Puhl DL, Funnell JL, Fink TD, Swaminathan A, Oudega M, Zha RH, Gilbert RJ. Electrospun fiber-mediated delivery of neurotrophin-3 mRNA for neural tissue engineering applications. Acta Biomater 2023; 155:370-385. [PMID: 36423820 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Aligned electrospun fibers provide topographical cues and local therapeutic delivery to facilitate robust peripheral nerve regeneration. mRNA delivery enables transient expression of desired proteins that promote axonal regeneration. However, no prior work delivers mRNA from electrospun fibers for peripheral nerve regeneration applications. Here, we developed the first aligned electrospun fibers to deliver pseudouridine-modified (Ψ) neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) mRNA (ΨNT-3mRNA) to primary Schwann cells and assessed NT-3 secretion and bioactivity. We first electrospun aligned poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) fibers and coated them with the anionic substrates dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS) or poly(3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine) (pDOPA). Cationic lipoplexes containing ΨNT-3mRNA complexed to JetMESSENGER® were then immobilized to the fibers, resulting in detectable ΨNT-3mRNA release for 28 days from all fiber groups investigated (PLLA+mRNA, 0.5DSS4h+mRNA, and 2pDOPA4h+mRNA). The 2pDOPA4h+mRNA group significantly increased Schwann cell secretion of NT-3 for 21 days compared to control PLLA fibers (p < 0.001-0.05) and, on average, increased Schwann cell secretion of NT-3 by ≥ 2-fold compared to bolus mRNA delivery from the 1µgBolus+mRNA and 3µgBolus+mRNA groups. The 2pDOPA4h+mRNA fibers supported Schwann cell secretion of NT-3 at levels that significantly increased dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurite extension by 44% (p < 0.0001) and neurite area by 64% (p < 0.001) compared to control PLLA fibers. The data show that the 2pDOPA4h+mRNA fibers enhance the ability of Schwann cells to promote neurite growth from DRG, demonstrating this platform's potential capability to improve peripheral nerve regeneration. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Aligned electrospun fibers enhance axonal regeneration by providing structural support and guidance cues, but further therapeutic stimulation is necessary to improve functional outcomes. mRNA delivery enables the transient expression of therapeutic proteins, yet achieving local, sustained delivery remains challenging. Previous work shows that genetic material delivery from electrospun fibers improves regeneration; however, mRNA delivery has not been explored. Here, we examine mRNA delivery from aligned electrospun fibers to enhance neurite outgrowth. We show that immobilization of NT-3mRNA/JetMESSENGER® lipoplexes to aligned electrospun fibers functionalized with pDOPA enables local, sustained NT-3mRNA delivery to Schwann cells, increasing Schwann cell secretion of NT-3 and enhancing DRG neurite outgrowth. This study displays the potential benefits of electrospun fiber-mediated mRNA delivery platforms for neural tissue engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devan L Puhl
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA; Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
| | - Jessica L Funnell
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA; Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
| | - Tanner D Fink
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
| | - Anuj Swaminathan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA; Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
| | - Martin Oudega
- Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Edward Hines Jr VA Hospital, Hines, IL, USA
| | - R Helen Zha
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
| | - Ryan J Gilbert
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA; Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA.
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2
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Sosnovtseva AO, Stepanova OV, Stepanenko AA, Voronova AD, Chadin AV, Valikhov MP, Chekhonin VP. Recombinant Adenoviruses for Delivery of Therapeutics Following Spinal Cord Injury. Front Pharmacol 2022; 12:777628. [PMID: 35082666 PMCID: PMC8784517 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.777628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The regeneration of nerve tissue after spinal cord injury is a complex and poorly understood process. Medication and surgery are not very effective treatments for patients with spinal cord injuries. Gene therapy is a popular approach for the treatment of such patients. The delivery of therapeutic genes is carried out in a variety of ways, such as direct injection of therapeutic vectors at the site of injury, retrograde delivery of vectors, and ex vivo therapy using various cells. Recombinant adenoviruses are often used as vectors for gene transfer. This review discusses the advantages, limitations and prospects of adenovectors in spinal cord injury therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasiia O Sosnovtseva
- Department of Fundamental and Applied Neurobiology, V.P. Serbsky National Medical Research Center of Psychiatry and Narcology, The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
| | - Olga V Stepanova
- Department of Fundamental and Applied Neurobiology, V.P. Serbsky National Medical Research Center of Psychiatry and Narcology, The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia.,Department of Neurohumoral and Immunological Research, National Medical Research Center of Cardiology, The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
| | - Aleksei A Stepanenko
- Department of Fundamental and Applied Neurobiology, V.P. Serbsky National Medical Research Center of Psychiatry and Narcology, The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia.,Department of Medical Nanobiotechnology, Institute of Translational Medicine, N.I. Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
| | - Anastasia D Voronova
- Department of Fundamental and Applied Neurobiology, V.P. Serbsky National Medical Research Center of Psychiatry and Narcology, The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
| | - Andrey V Chadin
- Department of Fundamental and Applied Neurobiology, V.P. Serbsky National Medical Research Center of Psychiatry and Narcology, The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
| | - Marat P Valikhov
- Department of Fundamental and Applied Neurobiology, V.P. Serbsky National Medical Research Center of Psychiatry and Narcology, The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia.,Department of Neurohumoral and Immunological Research, National Medical Research Center of Cardiology, The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia.,Department of Medical Nanobiotechnology, Institute of Translational Medicine, N.I. Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
| | - Vladimir P Chekhonin
- Department of Fundamental and Applied Neurobiology, V.P. Serbsky National Medical Research Center of Psychiatry and Narcology, The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia.,Department of Medical Nanobiotechnology, Institute of Translational Medicine, N.I. Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
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3
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Hoyng SA, De Winter F, Gnavi S, van Egmond L, Attwell CL, Tannemaat MR, Verhaagen J, Malessy MJA. Gene delivery to rat and human Schwann cells and nerve segments: a comparison of AAV 1–9 and lentiviral vectors. Gene Ther 2015; 22:767-80. [DOI: 10.1038/gt.2015.47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2014] [Revised: 03/29/2015] [Accepted: 04/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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4
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Cui C, Xu G, Qiu J, Fan X. Up-regulation of miR-26a promotes neurite outgrowth and ameliorates apoptosis by inhibiting PTEN in bupivacaine injured mouse dorsal root ganglia. Cell Biol Int 2015; 39:933-42. [PMID: 25808510 DOI: 10.1002/cbin.10461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2015] [Accepted: 03/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Changlei Cui
- Department of Anesthesiology; The First Hospital of Jilin University; Changchun JiLin Province 130021 China
| | - Gong Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology; The First Hospital of Jilin University; Changchun JiLin Province 130021 China
| | - Jinpeng Qiu
- Department of Anesthesiology; The First Hospital of Jilin University; Changchun JiLin Province 130021 China
| | - Xiushuang Fan
- Department of Anesthesiology; The First Hospital of Jilin University; Changchun JiLin Province 130021 China
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5
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Liu H, Lu M, Guthrie KM. Anterograde trafficking of neurotrophin-3 in the adult olfactory system in vivo. Exp Neurol 2012; 241:125-37. [PMID: 23261763 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2012.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2012] [Revised: 12/04/2012] [Accepted: 12/13/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The olfactory system continuously incorporates new neurons into functional circuits throughout life. Axons from olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) in the nasal cavity synapse on mitral, tufted and periglomerular (PG) cells in the main olfactory bulb, and low levels of turnover within the OSN population results in ingrowth of new axons under normal physiological conditions. Subpopulations of bulb interneurons are continually eliminated by apoptosis, and are replaced by new neurons derived from progenitors in the adult forebrain subventricular zone. Integration of new neurons, including PG cells that are contacted by sensory axons, leads to ongoing reorganization of adult olfactory bulb circuits. The mechanisms regulating this adaptive structural plasticity are not all known, but the process is reminiscent of early nervous system development. Neurotrophic factors have well-established roles in controlling neuronal survival and connectivity during development, leading to speculation that trophic interactions between OSNs and their target bulb neurons may mediate some of these same processes in adults. A number of different trophic factors and their cognate receptors are expressed in the adult olfactory pathway. Neurotrophin-3 (NT3) is among these, as reflected by beta-galactosidase expression in transgenic reporter mice expressing lacZ under the NT3 promoter. Using a combination of approaches, including immunocytochemistry, real-time PCR of laser-captured RNA, and adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of NT3 fusion peptides in vivo, we demonstrate that OSNs express and anterogradely transport NT3 to the olfactory bulb. We additionally observe that in mice treated with adenovirus encoding NT3 tagged with hemagglutinin (HA), a subset of bulb neurons expressing the TrkC neurotrophin receptor are immunoreactive for HA, suggesting their acquisition of the fusion peptide from infected sensory neurons. Our results therefore provide evidence that OSNs may serve as an afferent source of trophic signals for the adult mouse olfactory bulb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Liu
- Department of Basic Biomedical Science, College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
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6
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Gu X, Ding F, Yang Y, Liu J. Construction of tissue engineered nerve grafts and their application in peripheral nerve regeneration. Prog Neurobiol 2010; 93:204-30. [PMID: 21130136 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2010.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 416] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2010] [Revised: 11/02/2010] [Accepted: 11/23/2010] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Surgical repair of severe peripheral nerve injuries represents not only a pressing medical need, but also a great clinical challenge. Autologous nerve grafting remains a golden standard for bridging an extended gap in transected nerves. The formidable limitations related to this approach, however, have evoked the development of tissue engineered nerve grafts as a promising alternative to autologous nerve grafts. A tissue engineered nerve graft is typically constructed through a combination of a neural scaffold and a variety of cellular and molecular components. The initial and basic structure of the neural scaffold that serves to provide mechanical guidance and optimal environment for nerve regeneration was a single hollow nerve guidance conduit. Later there have been several improvements to the basic structure, especially introduction of physical fillers into the lumen of a hollow nerve guidance conduit. Up to now, a diverse array of biomaterials, either of natural or of synthetic origin, together with well-defined fabrication techniques, has been employed to prepare neural scaffolds with different structures and properties. Meanwhile different types of support cells and/or growth factors have been incorporated into the neural scaffold, producing unique biochemical effects on nerve regeneration and function restoration. This review attempts to summarize different nerve grafts used for peripheral nerve repair, to highlight various basic components of tissue engineered nerve grafts in terms of their structures, features, and nerve regeneration-promoting actions, and finally to discuss current clinical applications and future perspectives of tissue engineered nerve grafts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaosong Gu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, 19 Qixiu Road, Nantong, JS 226001, PR China.
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7
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Madduri S, Gander B. Schwann cell delivery of neurotrophic factors for peripheral nerve regeneration. J Peripher Nerv Syst 2010; 15:93-103. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1529-8027.2010.00257.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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8
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Vukovic J, Ruitenberg MJ, Roet K, Franssen E, Arulpragasam A, Sasaki T, Verhaagen J, Harvey AR, Busfield SJ, Plant GW. The glycoprotein fibulin-3 regulates morphology and motility of olfactory ensheathing cellsin vitro. Glia 2009; 57:424-43. [DOI: 10.1002/glia.20771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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9
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Pitts EV, Potluri S, Hess DM, Balice-Gordon RJ. Neurotrophin and Trk-mediated signaling in the neuromuscular system. Int Anesthesiol Clin 2006; 44:21-76. [PMID: 16849956 DOI: 10.1097/00004311-200604420-00004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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10
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Schmidt A, Böckmann M, Stoll A, Racek T, Pützer BM. Analysis of adenovirus gene transfer into adult neural stem cells. Virus Res 2005; 114:45-53. [PMID: 15996786 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2005.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2005] [Revised: 05/18/2005] [Accepted: 05/27/2005] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Adult neural stem cells (aNSCs) represent an attractive source for the production of specific types of neurons in degenerative CNS diseases and for the development of new regenerative gene therapies. However, the use of adult NSCs for transplantation and gene replacement strategies requires efficient gene expression in the cells. Due to the low pathogenicity of adenovirus (Ad) for humans, its large delivery capacity, and long-term transgene expression, Ad vectors are widely used. Here, we tested the potential of the Ad vector system to transduce adult NSCs. Analysis of Ad receptor expression in primary aNSCs revealed a complete lack of the coxsackie-adenovirus receptor and no or low expression of alphanu- and beta5-integrins, respectively, on mRNA and protein level. Consistently, transduction at different multiplicities of infection using an Ad vector expressing the enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP) showed that adult NSCs are particularly resistant to Ad infection even at highest MOI (1000) in contrast to differentiated types of neural cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Schmidt
- Department of Vectorology and Experimental Gene Therapy, University of Rostock Medical School, Schillingallee 70, Rostock 18057, Germany
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11
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Abstract
Nerve regeneration is a complex biological phenomenon. In the peripheral nervous system, nerves can regenerate on their own if injuries are small. Larger injuries must be surgically treated, typically with nerve grafts harvested from elsewhere in the body. Spinal cord injury is more complicated, as there are factors in the body that inhibit repair. Unfortunately, a solution to completely repair spinal cord injury has not been found. Thus, bioengineering strategies for the peripheral nervous system are focused on alternatives to the nerve graft, whereas efforts for spinal cord injury are focused on creating a permissive environment for regeneration. Fortunately, recent advances in neuroscience, cell culture, genetic techniques, and biomaterials provide optimism for new treatments for nerve injuries. This article reviews the nervous system physiology, the factors that are critical for nerve repair, and the current approaches that are being explored to aid peripheral nerve regeneration and spinal cord repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine E Schmidt
- Department of Biomedical Engineering The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA.
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12
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Hendriks WT, Ruitenberg MJ, Blits B, Boer GJ, Verhaagen J. Viral vector-mediated gene transfer of neurotrophins to promote regeneration of the injured spinal cord. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2004; 146:451-76. [PMID: 14699980 DOI: 10.1016/s0079-6123(03)46029-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Injuries to the adult mammalian spinal cord often lead to severe damage to both ascending (sensory) pathways and descending (motor) nerve pathways without the perspective of complete functional recovery. Future spinal cord repair strategies should comprise a multi-factorial approach addressing several issues, including optimalization of survival and function of spared central nervous system neurons in partial lesions and the modulation of trophic and inhibitory influences to promote and guide axonal regrowth. Neurotrophins have emerged as promising molecules to augment neuroprotection and neuronal regeneration. Although intracerebroventricular, intrathecal and local protein delivery of neurotrophins to the injured spinal cord has resulted in enhanced survival and regeneration of injured neurons, there are a number of drawbacks to these methods. Viral vector-mediated transfer of neurotrophin genes to the injured spinal cord is emerging as a novel and effective strategy to express neurotrophins in the injured nervous system. Ex vivo transfer of neurotrophic factor genes is explored as a way to bridge lesions cavities for axonal regeneration. Several viral vector systems, based on herpes simplex virus, adenovirus, adeno-associated virus, lentivirus, and moloney leukaemia virus, have been employed. The genetic modification of fibroblasts, Schwann cells, olfactory ensheathing glia cells, and stem cells, prior to implantation to the injured spinal cord has resulted in improved cellular nerve guides. So far, neurotrophic factor gene transfer to the injured spinal cord has led to results comparable to those obtained with direct protein delivery, but has a number of advantages. The steady advances that have been made in combining new viral vector systems with a range of promising cellular platforms for ex vivo gene transfer (e.g., primary embryonic neurons, Schwann cells, olfactory ensheating glia cells and neural stem cells) holds promising perspectives for the development of new neurotrophic factor-based therapies to repair the injured nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- William T Hendriks
- Graduate School for Neurosciences Amsterdam, Department of Neuroregeneration, Netherlands Institute for Brain Research, Meibergdreef 33, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Ex vivo adenoviral vector-mediated neurotrophin gene transfer to olfactory ensheathing glia: effects on rubrospinal tract regeneration, lesion size, and functional recovery after implantation in the injured rat spinal cord. J Neurosci 2003. [PMID: 12904465 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.23-18-07045.2003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study uniquely combines olfactory ensheathing glia (OEG) implantation with ex vivo adenoviral (AdV) vector-based neurotrophin gene therapy in an attempt to enhance regeneration after cervical spinal cord injury. Primary OEG were transduced with AdV vectors encoding rat brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), or bacterial marker protein beta-galactosidase (LacZ) and subsequently implanted into adult Fischer rats directly after unilateral transection of the dorsolateral funiculus. Implanted animals received a total of 2 x 105 OEG that were subjected to transduction with neurotrophin-encoding AdV vector, AdV-LacZ, or no vector, respectively. At 4 months after injury, lesion volumes were smaller in all OEG implanted rats and significantly reduced in size after implantation of neurotrophin-encoding AdV vector-transduced OEG. All OEG grafts were filled with neurofilament-positive axons, and AdV vector-mediated expression of BDNF by implanted cells significantly enhanced regenerative sprouting of the rubrospinal tract. Behavioral analysis revealed that OEG-implanted rats displayed better locomotion during horizontal rope walking than unimplanted lesioned controls. Recovery of hind limb function was also improved after implantation of OEG that were transduced with a BDNF- or NT-3-encoding AdV vector. Hind limb performance during horizontal rope locomotion did directly correlate with lesion size, suggesting that neuroprotective effects of OEG implants contributed to the level of functional recovery. Thus, our results demonstrate that genetic engineering of OEG not only resulted in a cell that was more effective in promoting axonal outgrowth but could also lead to enhanced recovery after injury, possibly by sparing of spinal tissue.
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Blits B, Oudega M, Boer GJ, Bartlett Bunge M, Verhaagen J. Adeno-associated viral vector-mediated neurotrophin gene transfer in the injured adult rat spinal cord improves hind-limb function. Neuroscience 2003; 118:271-81. [PMID: 12676157 DOI: 10.1016/s0306-4522(02)00970-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
To foster axonal growth from a Schwann cell bridge into the caudal spinal cord, spinal cells caudal to the implant were transduced with adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors encoding for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3 (AAV-NT-3). Control rats received AAV vectors encoding for green fluorescent protein or saline. AAV-BDNF- and AAV-NT-3-transduced 293 human kidney cells produced and secreted BDNF or NT-3, respectively, in vitro. The secreted neurotrophins were biologically active; they both promoted outgrowth of sensory neurites in vitro. In vivo, transgene expression was observed predominantly in neurons for at least 16 weeks after injection. Compared with controls, a modest though significant improvement in hind-limb function was found in rats that received AAV-BDNF and AAV-NT-3. Retrograde tracing demonstrated that twice as many neurons with processes extending toward the Schwann cell graft were present in the second lumbar cord segment of AAV-BDNF- and AAV-NT-3-injected animals compared with controls. We found no evidence, however, for growth of regenerated axons from the Schwann cell implant into the caudal cord. Our results suggest that AAV vector-mediated overexpression of BDNF and NT-3 in the cord caudal to a Schwann cell bridge modified the local lumbar axonal circuitry, which was beneficial for locomotor function.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Blits
- Graduate School for Neurosciences Amsterdam, Netherlands Institute for Brain Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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15
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Xu B, Michalski B, Racine RJ, Fahnestock M. Continuous infusion of neurotrophin-3 triggers sprouting, decreases the levels of TrkA and TrkC, and inhibits epileptogenesis and activity-dependent axonal growth in adult rats. Neuroscience 2003; 115:1295-308. [PMID: 12453498 DOI: 10.1016/s0306-4522(02)00384-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), a member of the neurotrophin family of neurotrophic factors, is important for cell survival, axonal growth and neuronal plasticity. Epileptiform activation can regulate the expression of neurotrophins, and increases or decreases in neurotrophins can affect both epileptogenesis and seizure-related axonal growth. Interestingly, the expression of nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor is rapidly up-regulated following seizures, while NT-3 mRNA remains unchanged or undergoes a delayed down-regulation, suggesting that NT-3 might have a different function in epileptogenesis. In the present study, we demonstrate that continuous intraventricular infusion of NT-3 in the absence of kindling triggers mossy fiber sprouting in the inner molecular layer of the dentate gyrus and the stratum oriens of the CA3 region. Furthermore, despite this NT-3-related sprouting effect, continuous infusion of NT-3 retards the development of behavioral seizures and inhibits kindling-induced mossy fiber sprouting in the inner molecular layer of the dentate gyrus. We also show that prolonged infusion of NT-3 leads to a decrease in kindling-induced Trk phosphorylation and a down-regulation of the high-affinity Trk receptors, TrkA and TrkC, suggesting an involvement of both cholinergic nerve growth factor receptors and hippocampal NT-3 receptors in these effects. Our results demonstrate an important inhibitory role for NT-3 in seizure development and seizure-related synaptic reorganization.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Cell Count
- Cytochrome c Group/pharmacology
- Drug Administration Schedule
- Epilepsy/drug therapy
- Epilepsy/metabolism
- Epilepsy/physiopathology
- Growth Cones/drug effects
- Growth Cones/metabolism
- Kindling, Neurologic/drug effects
- Kindling, Neurologic/metabolism
- Male
- Molecular Weight
- Mossy Fibers, Hippocampal/drug effects
- Mossy Fibers, Hippocampal/growth & development
- Mossy Fibers, Hippocampal/metabolism
- Neuronal Plasticity/drug effects
- Neuronal Plasticity/physiology
- Neuropil/cytology
- Neuropil/drug effects
- Neurotrophin 3/metabolism
- Neurotrophin 3/pharmacology
- Phosphorylation/drug effects
- Rats
- Rats, Long-Evans
- Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases/drug effects
- Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases/metabolism
- Receptor, trkA/drug effects
- Receptor, trkA/metabolism
- Receptor, trkB/drug effects
- Receptor, trkB/metabolism
- Receptor, trkC/drug effects
- Receptor, trkC/metabolism
- Seizures/drug therapy
- Seizures/metabolism
- Seizures/physiopathology
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Affiliation(s)
- B Xu
- Department of Psychology, McMaster University, L8S 4K1, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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16
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Keith CH, Wilson MT. Factors controlling axonal and dendritic arbors. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CYTOLOGY 2001; 205:77-147. [PMID: 11336394 DOI: 10.1016/s0074-7696(01)05003-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The sculpting and maintenance of axonal and dendritic arbors is largely under the control of molecules external to the cell. These factors include both substratum-associated and soluble factors that can enhance or inhibit the outgrowth of axons and dendrites. A large number of factors that modulate axonal outgrowth have been identified, and the first stages of the intracellular signaling pathways by which they modify process outgrowth have been characterized. Relatively fewer factors and pathways that affect dendritic outgrowth have been described. The factors that affect axonal arbors form an incompletely overlapping set with those that affect dendritic arbors, allowing selective control of the development and maintenance of these critical aspects of neuronal morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- C H Keith
- Department of Cellular Biology. University of Georgia, Athens, 30605, USA
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17
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Jackson CA, Cobbs C, Peduzzi JD, Novak M, Morrow CD. Repetitive intrathecal injections of poliovirus replicons result in gene expression in neurons of the central nervous system without pathogenesis. Hum Gene Ther 2001; 12:1827-41. [PMID: 11589826 DOI: 10.1089/104303401753153893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Poliovirus-based vectors (replicons) can be used for gene delivery to motor neurons of the CNS. In the current study, a replicon encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP) was encapsidated into authentic poliovirions, using established procedures. Intrathecal delivery of encapsidated replicons encoding GFP to the CNS of mice transgenic for the human poliovirus receptor did not result in any functional deficits as judged by behavioral testing. Histological analysis of the CNS of mice given a single intrathecal injection of poliovirus replicons encoding GFP revealed no obvious pathogenesis in neurons (or other cell types) within the CNS. The expression of GFP was confined to motor neurons throughout the neuroaxis; a time course of expression of GFP revealed that expression was detectable 24 hr postinoculation and returned to background levels by 120 hr postinoculation. A procedure was devised to allow repetitive inoculation of replicons within the same animal. Behavioral testing of animals that had received 6 to 13 independent inoculations of replicons revealed no functional deficits. Histological analysis of the CNS from animals that had received 6 to 13 sequential inoculations of replicons revealed no obvious abnormalities in neurons or other cell types in the CNS; expression of GFP was demonstrated in neurons 24 to 72 hr after the final inoculation of the replicon. Furthermore, there was no obvious inflammatory response in the CNS after the multiple inoculations. These studies establish the safety and efficacy of replicons for gene delivery to the CNS and are discussed with respect to use of replicons as new therapeutic strategies for spinal cord injuries and/or neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- C A Jackson
- Department of Physiological Optics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 35294, USA
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18
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Boer GJ, van Esseveldt KE, Dijkhuizen PA, Hermens WT, te Beek ET, van Heerikhuize JJ, Poldervaart HA, Verhaagen J. Adenoviral Vector-Mediated Expression of Neurotrophin-3 Increases Neuronal Survival in Suprachiasmatic Nucleus Grafts. Exp Neurol 2001; 169:364-75. [PMID: 11358449 DOI: 10.1006/exnr.2001.7683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
To improve transplantation results of fetal suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in SCN-lesioned (SCNX) rats, grafts were ex vivo transduced with an adenoviral vector encoding for neurotrophin-3 (AdNT-3) before implantation. Mock- and AdLacZ-transduced grafts were used as controls. First, transplants were evaluated microscopically and by image analysis for the presence of vasopressinergic (VPergic) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptidergic (VIPergic) SCN neurons at 10 weeks or later postgrafting. Ex vivo AdNT-3-transduced transplants displayed increased volume areas of VPergic and VIPergic SCN cells in comparison with those in mock- and AdLacZ-transduced transplants, but significantly improved graft-to-host VPergic and VIPergic SCN fiber growth was not reached (though AdNT-3-transduced transplants tended to grow more VPergic fibers into the brain of VP-deficient SCNX Brattleboro rat recipients, which were chosen as recipients to circumvent the presence of non-SCN VP fiber staining). Second, a small group of arrhythmic Wistar rats received AdNT-3- or control-treated SCN grafts while continuously on-line for the monitoring of overt circadian activities in the pre- and postgrafting periods. The results indicated that ex vivo transduced SCN grafts can still restore arrhythmia, but that the NT-3-mediated anatomical improvements of the grafting results were not sufficient to enhance efficacy of reinstatement of circadian rhythm in SCN-lesioned rats. However, in this group VIP staining volume area, not VP staining volume area, correlated significantly with reinstatement of circadian rhythm.
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Affiliation(s)
- G J Boer
- Graduate School of Neurosciences of Amsterdam, Netherlands Institute for Brain Research, Meibergdreef 33, 1105 AZ Amsterdam ZO, The Netherlands
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19
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Pradat PF, Finiels F, Kennel P, Naimi S, Orsini C, Delaere P, Revah F, Mallet J. Partial prevention of cisplatin-induced neuropathy by electroporation-mediated nonviral gene transfer. Hum Gene Ther 2001; 12:367-75. [PMID: 11242529 DOI: 10.1089/10430340150503993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cisplatin-induced sensory peripheral neuropathy is the dose-limiting factor for cisplatin chemotherapy. We describe the preventive effect of NT-3 delivery, using direct gene transfer into muscle by in vivo electroporation in a mouse model of cisplatin-induced neuropathy. Cisplatin-induced neuropathy was produced by weekly injections of cisplatin (five injections). Two doses of plasmid DNA encoding murine NT-3 (pCMVNT-3) were tested (5 and 50 microg/animal/injection). Cisplatin-treated mice were given two intramuscular injections. The first injection of pCMVNT-3 was given 2 days before the first injection of cisplatin and the second injection 2 weeks later. Six weeks after the start of the experiment, measurement of NT-3 levels (ELISA) demonstrated significant levels both in muscle and plasma. We observed a smaller cisplatin-related increase in the latency of the sensory nerve action potential of the caudal nerve in pCMVNT-3-treated mice than in controls (p < 0.0001). Mean sensory distal latencies were not different between the 5- and 50- microg/animal/injection groups. Treatment with gene therapy induced only a slight muscle toxicity and no general side effects. Therefore, neurotrophic factor delivery by direct gene transfer into muscle by electroporation is of potential benefit in the prevention of cisplatin-induced neuropathy and of peripheral neuropathies in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- P F Pradat
- Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire de la Neurotransmission et des Processus Neurodégénératifs, UMR C9923, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpétriere, 75651 Paris Cedex 13, France
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20
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White DM. Neurotrophin-3 antisense oligonucleotide attenuates nerve injury-induced Abeta-fibre sprouting. Brain Res 2000; 885:79-86. [PMID: 11121532 DOI: 10.1016/s0006-8993(00)02940-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
It is proposed that following peripheral nerve injury abnormal sprouting of Abeta-fibre primary afferent neurons in the spinal cord contributes to the allodynia that often occurs with such injury. Allodynia is characterized as pain due to a stimulus which is normally non-noxious. Our recent in vivo experiments show that intrathecal administration of neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), in normal animals, induces allodynia and sprouting of Abeta-fibres. In this study, we examine whether intrathecal administration of NT-3 antisense oligonucleotides (50 microM), via an osmotic pump for 14 days, attenuates nerve injury-induced sprouting and allodynia. The oligonucleotides used in this study were phosphorothioate modified and control experiments, using an ELISA, confirm that intrathecal administration of the antisense induces a significant decrease in NT-3 levels in the spinal cord. All surgery was conducted on anaesthetized Wistar rats (sodium pentobarbitone, i.p. 50 mg/kg). Consistent with previous studies, transganglionic labelling of Abeta-fibres with choleragenoid-horseradish peroxidase (C-HRP) shows that complete transection of the sciatic nerve induces an expansion of C-HRP label into lamina II of the spinal dorsal horn. Using image analysis, we find that intrathecal administration of NT-3 antisense attenuates the density of C-HRP labelling in lamina II in nerve injured animals. A NT-3 sense oligonucleotide (50 microM) has no effect. To test the effect of NT-3 antisense on allodynia, the nociceptive flexion reflex is examined, using an Ugo Basile Analgesymeter, in animals with partial sciatic nerve ligation. Intrathecal administration of 50 microM NT-3 antisense significantly attenuates nerve injury-induced allodynia, whereas the sense oligonucleotide has no effect. These results provide further evidence that endogenous NT-3 contributes to both nerve injury-induced Abeta-fibre sprouting and allodynia and demonstrates the potential of neurotrophin-3 antisense oligonucleotides as therapeutic agents for neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- D M White
- Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Management, University of Sydney, Royal North Shore Hospital, N.S.W. 2065, St. Leonards, Australia.
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21
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Blits B, Dijkhuizen PA, Boer GJ, Verhaagen J. Intercostal nerve implants transduced with an adenoviral vector encoding neurotrophin-3 promote regrowth of injured rat corticospinal tract fibers and improve hindlimb function. Exp Neurol 2000; 164:25-37. [PMID: 10877912 DOI: 10.1006/exnr.2000.7413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Following injury to central nervous tissues, damaged neurons are unable to regenerate their axons spontaneously. Implantation of peripheral nerves into the CNS, however, does result in axonal regeneration into these transplants and is one of the most powerful strategies to promote CNS regeneration. In the present study implantation of peripheral nerve bridges following dorsal hemisection is combined with ex vivo gene transfer with adenoviral vectors encoding neurotrophin-3 (Ad-NT-3) to examine whether this would stimulate regeneration of one of the long descending tracts of the spinal cord, the corticospinal tract (CST), into and beyond the peripheral nerve implant. We chose to use an adenoviral vector encoding NT-3 because CST axons are sensitive to this neurotrophin and Schwann cells in peripheral nerve implants do not express this neurotrophin. At 16 weeks postimplantation of Ad-NT-3-transduced intercostal nerves, approximately three- to fourfold more of the anterogradely traced corticospinal tract fibers had regrown their axons through gray matter below the lesion site when compared to control animals. Regrowth of CST fibers occurred over more than 8 mm distal to the lesion site. No regenerating CST fibers were, however, observed into the transduced peripheral implant. Animals with a peripheral nerve transduced with Ad-NT-3 also exhibited improved function of the hindlimbs when compared to control animals treated with an adenoviral vector encoding LacZ. Thus, transient overexpression of NT-3 in peripheral nerve tissue bridges is apparently sufficient to stimulate regrowth of CST fibers and to promote recovery of hindlimb function, but does not result in regeneration of CST fibers into such transplants. Taken together, combining an established neurotransplantation approach with viral vector-gene transfer promotes the regrowth of injured CST fibers through gray matter and improves the recovery of hindlimb function.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Blits
- Graduate School Neurosciences Amsterdam, Netherlands Institute for Brain Research
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22
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Extensive sprouting of sensory afferents and hyperalgesia induced by conditional expression of nerve growth factor in the adult spinal cord. J Neurosci 2000. [PMID: 10844012 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.20-12-04435.2000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic transfer of growth-promoting molecules was proposed as a potential strategy to modify the nonpermissive nature of the adult CNS to induce axonal regeneration. To evaluate whether overexpression of neurotrophins or cellular adhesion molecules would effect axonal plasticity, adenoviruses encoding fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2/Adts), nerve growth factor (NGF/Adts), neurotrophin-3, and the cell adhesion molecules N-cadherin and L1 were injected into the dorsal horn of the adult spinal cord. Transgene expression was primarily localized to astrocytes in the dorsal horn and motor neurons within the ventral horn. Overexpression of these factors, with the exception of NGF/Adts, failed to increase axonal sprouting. Eight days after NGF/Adts injections, axonal sprouting within the dorsal horn was apparent, and after 4 weeks, extensive spouting was observed throughout the entire dorsal horn, extending into the ventral horn and the white matter of the lateral funiculus. These axons were identified primarily as a subpopulation of nociceptive fibers expressing calcitonin gene-related peptide and substance-P. Behavioral analysis revealed thermal hyperalgesia and perturbation of accurate paw placement on grid-walking tasks for both FGF-2- and NGF-treated animals. These results indicate that the administration of growth-promoting molecules can induce robust axonal plasticity of normal adult primary sensory neurons into areas of transgene expression, causing significant alterations in behavioral responses. This observation also indicates that gene transfer protocols that aim to reconstruct diseased or injured pathways should also be designed to prevent the sprouting of the normal circuitry from adjacent unaffected neurons.
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23
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Pasterkamp RJ, Giger RJ, Baker RE, Hermens WT, Verhaagen J. Ectopic adenoviral vector-directed expression of Sema3A in organotypic spinal cord explants inhibits growth of primary sensory afferents. Dev Biol 2000; 220:129-41. [PMID: 10753505 DOI: 10.1006/dbio.2000.9627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Sema3A (Sema III, SemD, collapsin-1) can induce neuronal growth cone collapse and axon repulsion of distinct neuronal populations. To study Sema3A function in patterning afferent projections into the developing spinal cord, we employed the recombinant adenoviral vector technique in embryonic rat spinal cord slices. Virus solution was injected in the dorsal aspect of organotypic spinal cord cultures with segmentally attached dorsal root ganglia (sc-DRG). In cultures grown in the presence of nerve growth factor (NGF), injected either with the control virus AdCMVLacZ or with vehicle only, afferent innervation patterns were similar to those of control. However, unilateral injection of AdCMVSema3A/AdCMVLacZ in sc-DRG slices revealed a strong inhibitory effect on NGF-dependent sensory afferent growth. Ectopic Sema3A in the dorsal spinal cord, the target area of NGF-responsive DRG fibers in vivo, created an exclusion zone for these fibers and as a result they failed to reach and innervate their appropriate target zones. Taken together, gain of Sema3A function in the dorsal aspect of sc-DRG cultures revealed a dominant inhibitory effect on NGF-dependent, nociceptive sensory DRG afferents, an observation in line with the model proposed by E. K. Messersmith et al. (1995, Neuron 14, 949-959), suggesting that Sema3A secreted by spinal cord cells can act to repel central sensory fibers during the formation of lamina-specific connections in the spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- R J Pasterkamp
- Graduate School Neurosciences Amsterdam, The Netherlands Institute for Brain Research, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, The Netherlands
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24
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Bigbee JW, Sharma KV, Chan EL, Bögler O. Evidence for the direct role of acetylcholinesterase in neurite outgrowth in primary dorsal root ganglion neurons. Brain Res 2000; 861:354-62. [PMID: 10760497 DOI: 10.1016/s0006-8993(00)02046-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons show a transient peak expression of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) during periods of axonal outgrowth prior to synaptogenesis, suggesting that AChE has a non-enzymatic role during development. We have previously shown that perturbation of cell surface AChE in cultured embryonic rat DRG neurons results in decreased neurite outgrowth and neurite detachment. In this report, we demonstrate a direct correlation between endogenous AChE content and neurite outgrowth in primary DRG neurons. Adenoviral vectors were constructed using full-length rat AChE(T) cDNA in either the sense or antisense orientations to overexpress or knock down AChE expression, respectively. Treatment with the sense-expressing vector produced a 2.5-fold increase in AChE expression and a 2-fold increase in neurite length compared with either untreated or null virus-treated control cells. Conversely, treatment with the antisense-expressing vector reduced AChE expression by 40% and resulted in a reduction in neurite length of similar magnitude. We also observed that overexpression of AChE resulted in greater branching at the distal tips of each primary neurite as well as an increase in cell body size. These findings further indicate that AChE expressed on the axonal surface of developing DRG neurons may modulate their adhesive properties and thereby support axonal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- J W Bigbee
- Department of Anatomy, Medical College of Virginia School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, P.O. Box 980709, Richmond, VA 23298-0709, USA.
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25
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Blits B, Dijkhuizen PA, Hermens WT, Van Esseveldt LK, Boer GJ, Verhaagen J. The use of adenoviral vectors and ex vivo transduced neurotransplants: towards promotion of neuroregeneration. Cell Transplant 2000; 9:169-78. [PMID: 10811391 DOI: 10.1177/096368970000900204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Regeneration of injured axons following injury depends on a delicate balance between growth-promoting and growth-inhibiting factors. Overexpression of neurotrophin genes seems a promising strategy to promote regeneration. Trophic genes can be overexpressed at the site of injury at the axonal stumps, or at the perikaryal level of the injured neuron. Transduction of the neural cells can be achieved by applying adenoviral vectors, either directly in vivo or-in the case of neurotransplantation as an ex vivo approach. In both cases it would create a more permissive environment for axonal growth and therefore in functional regeneration. In this article, the feasibility of the use of adenoviral vectors in several neuroregeneration models--in particularly in spinal cord lesion models and the biological clock transplantation model--is illustrated. The results show that the adenoviral vectors can be a powerful tool to study the effects of overexpression of genes in an in vivo paradigm of nerve regeneration or nerve outgrowth. The potential use of adenoviral vectors and ex vivo transduced neurotransplants is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Blits
- Graduate School Neurosciences Amsterdam, Netherlands Institute for Brain Research
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26
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Hermens WT, ter Brake O, Dijkhuizen PA, Sonnemans MA, Grimm D, Kleinschmidt JA, Verhaagen J. Purification of recombinant adeno-associated virus by iodixanol gradient ultracentrifugation allows rapid and reproducible preparation of vector stocks for gene transfer in the nervous system. Hum Gene Ther 1999; 10:1885-91. [PMID: 10446928 DOI: 10.1089/10430349950017563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors have become attractive tools for in vivo gene transfer. The production and purification of high-titer rAAV vector stocks for experimental and therapeutic gene transfer continue to undergo improvement. Standard rAAV vector purification protocols include the purification of the vector by cesium chloride (CsCl)-density gradient centrifugation followed by extensive desalination via dialysis against a physiological buffer for in vivo use. These procedures are extremely time consuming and frequently result in a substantial loss of the infectious vector titer. As an alternative to CsCl we have investigated the use of Iodixanol, an X-ray contrast solution, as the density-gradient medium. Purification of rAAV vectors by Iodixanol shortened the centrifugation period to 3 hr and resulted in reproducible concentration and purification of rAAV-vector stocks. We show that injection of rAAV derived from an Iodixanol gradient can be used for in vivo gene transfer applications in the brain and spinal cord without detectable cytopathic effects and directing stable transgene expression for at least 2 months.
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Affiliation(s)
- W T Hermens
- Graduate School for Neurosciences Amsterdam, Netherlands Institute for Brain Research
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27
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Houweling DA, Bär PR, Gispen WH, Joosten EA. Spinal cord injury: bridging the lesion and the role of neurotrophic factors in repair. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 1999; 117:455-71. [PMID: 9932425 DOI: 10.1016/s0079-6123(08)64032-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- D A Houweling
- Department of Neurology, Rudolf Magnus Institute for Neurosciences, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
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28
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Affiliation(s)
- G M Smith
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75235, USA.
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29
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Zhang Y, Dijkhuizen PA, Anderson PN, Lieberman AR, Verhaagen J. NT-3 delivered by an adenoviral vector induces injured dorsal root axons to regenerate into the spinal cord of adult rats. J Neurosci Res 1998; 54:554-62. [PMID: 9822165 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-4547(19981115)54:4<554::aid-jnr12>3.0.co;2-m] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Sensory axons interrupted in the dorsal roots of adult mammals are normally unable to regenerate into the spinal cord. We have investigated whether the introduction of a neurotrophin gene into the spinal cord might offer an approach to otherwise intractable spinal root injuries. The dorsal roots of the 4th, 5th, and 6th lumbar spinal nerves of adult rats were severed and reanastomosed. Fourteen to nineteen days later, adenoviral vectors containing either the LacZ or NT-3 genes were injected into the ventral horn of the lumbar spinal cord, resulting in strong expression of the transgenes in glial cells and motor neurons between 4 and 40 days after injection. When dorsal root axons were transganglionically labelled with HRP conjugated to cholera toxin subunit B, 16 to 37 days after dorsal root injury, large numbers of labelled axons could be seen to have regenerated into the cord, but only in those animals injected with vector carrying the NT-3 gene. The regenerated axons were found at the injection site, mainly in the grey matter, and had penetrated as deep as lamina V. Gene therapy with adenoviral vectors encoding a neurotrophin has therefore been shown to be capable of enhancing and directing the regeneration of a subpopulation of dorsal root axons (probably myelinated A fibres), into and through the CNS environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Zhang
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, University College London, England
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30
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Houweling DA, Lankhorst AJ, Gispen WH, Bär PR, Joosten EA. Collagen containing neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) attracts regrowing injured corticospinal axons in the adult rat spinal cord and promotes partial functional recovery. Exp Neurol 1998; 153:49-59. [PMID: 9743566 DOI: 10.1006/exnr.1998.6867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
During development, neurotrophic factors play an important role in the guidance and outgrowth of axons. Our working hypothesis is that neurotrophic factors involved in the development of axons of a particular CNS tract are among the most promising candidates for stimulating and directing the regrowth of fibers of this tract in the lesioned adult animal. The neurotrophin NT-3 is known to be involved in the target selection of outgrowing corticospinal tract (CST) fibers. We studied the capacity of locally applied NT-3 to stimulate and direct the regrowth of axons of the CST in the lesioned adult rat spinal cord. We also studied the effect of NT-3 application on the functional recovery of rats after spinal cord injury, using the gridwalk test. NT-3 was applied at the site of the lesion dissolved into rat tail collagen type I. Four weeks after spinal cord injury and collagen implantation, significantly more CST fibers had regrown into the collagen matrix containing NT-3 (22 +/- 6%, mean +/- SEM) than into the control collagen matrix without NT-3 (7 +/- 2%). No CST fibers grew into areas caudal to the collagen implant. Despite the absence of regrowth of corticospinal axons into host tissue caudal to the lesion area, functional recovery was observed in rats with NT-3 containing collagen implants.
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Affiliation(s)
- D A Houweling
- Department of Neurology, Rudolf Magnus Institute for Neurosciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3508 GA, The Netherlands
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31
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Dijkhuizen PA, Pasterkamp RJ, Hermens WT, de Winter F, Giger RJ, Verhaagen J. Adenoviral vector-mediated gene delivery to injured rat peripheral nerve. J Neurotrauma 1998; 15:387-97. [PMID: 9624624 DOI: 10.1089/neu.1998.15.387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Although much progress has been made, current treatments of peripheral nerve damage mostly result in only partial recovery. Local production of neurite outgrowth-promoting molecules, such as neurotrophins and/or cell adhesion molecules, at the site of damage may be used as a new means to promote the regeneration process. We have now explored the ability of an adenoviral vector encoding the reporter gene LacZ (Ad-LacZ) to direct the expression of a foreign gene to Schwann cells of intact and crushed rat sciatic nerves. Infusion of 8 x 10(7) PFU Ad-LacZ in the intact sciatic nerve resulted in the transduction of many Schwann cells with high levels of transgene expression lasting at least up to 12 days following viral vector administration. The efficacy of adenoviral vector delivery to a crushed nerve was investigated using three strategies. Injection of the adenoviral vector at the time of, or immediately after, a crush resulted in the transduction of only a few Schwann cells. Administration of the adenoviral vector the day after the crush resulted in the transduction of a similar number of Schwann cells 5 days after administration, as observed in uncrushed nerves. Regenerating nerve fibers were closely associated with beta-galactosidase-positive Schwann cells, indicating that the capacity of transduced Schwann cells to guide regenerating fibers was not altered. These results imply that the expression of growth-promoting proteins through adenoviral vector-mediated gene transfer may be a realistic option to promote peripheral nerve regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- P A Dijkhuizen
- Graduate School for the Neurosciences, Netherlands Institute for Brain Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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32
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Holtmaat AJ, Oestreicher AB, Gispen WH, Verhaagen J. Manipulation of gene expression in the mammalian nervous system: application in the study of neurite outgrowth and neuroregeneration-related proteins. BRAIN RESEARCH. BRAIN RESEARCH REVIEWS 1998; 26:43-71. [PMID: 9600624 DOI: 10.1016/s0165-0173(97)00044-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
A fundamental issue in neurobiology entails the study of the formation of neuronal connections and their potential to regenerate following injury. In recent years, an expanding number of gene families has been identified involved in different aspects of neurite outgrowth and regeneration. These include neurotrophic factors, cell-adhesion molecules, growth-associated proteins, cytoskeletal proteins and chemorepulsive proteins. Genetic manipulation technology (transgenic mice, knockout mice, viral vectors and antisense oligonucleotides) has been instrumental in defining the function of these neurite outgrowth-related proteins. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the above-mentioned four approaches to manipulate gene expression in vivo and to discuss the progress that has been made using this technology in helping to understand the molecular mechanisms that regulate neurite outgrowth. We will show that work with transgenic mice and knockout mice has contributed significantly to the dissection of the function of several proteins with a key role in neurite outgrowth and neuronal survival. Recently developed viral vectors for gene transfer in postmitotic neurons have opened up new avenues to analyze the function of a protein following local expression in naive adult rodents. The initial results with viral vector-based gene transfer provide a conceptual framework for further studies on genetic therapy of neuroregeneration and neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Holtmaat
- Graduate School of Neurosciences Amsterdam, Netherlands Institute for Brain Research
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33
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Baker RE, Dijkhuizen PA, Van Pelt J, Verhaagen J. Growth of pyramidal, but not non-pyramidal, dendrites in long-term organotypic explants of neonatal rat neocortex chronically exposed to neurotrophin-3. Eur J Neurosci 1998; 10:1037-44. [PMID: 9753171 DOI: 10.1046/j.1460-9568.1998.00118.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The present study was undertaken to determine the effects of neurotrophin-3 (NT3) and spontaneous bioelectric activity (SBA) on dendritic elongation and branching in long-term isolated organotypic explants of rat neocortex. Viral vector-directed expression of NT3 was used as an effective means to ensure a continuous, local production of the neurotrophic factor. Quantitative light microscopic measurement of dendritic branching patterns was carried out on Golgi-stained materials. Explants were exposed to an adenoviral vector encoding the genetic sequence for neurotrophin-3 (Ad-NT3), or to exogenous additions of the neuropeptide NT3. In order to test for activity-dependent growth effects under control and experimental conditions, explants were exposed to glutamatergic blockade using a cocktail of APV and DNQX. Both Ad-NT3 and NT3 peptide potently promoted apical and basal dendritic growth (elongation and branching) in pyramidal neurons. This growth was observed to be significant in layers II-IV and V. These growth effects were also not activity dependent, inasmuch as they were elicited from explants in which spontaneous bioelectric activity had been suppressed. Non-pyramidal neurons, throughout the neocortical slice, showed no significant dendritic responses to the prolonged presence of NT3. These findings show that pyramidal dendritic growth in long-term neocortical explants responds to at least one neurotrophic growth factor, NT3, and is independent of intrinsic bioelectric activity. The use of viral vectors in delivering a continuous high level of neurotrophic factor within developing neural tissues demonstrates its potential application to in vivo tissues during development, or in the stimulation of neuritogenesis and neuroregeneration following injuries.
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Affiliation(s)
- R E Baker
- Netherlands Institute for Brain Research, Amsterdam.
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