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Kulkarni AA, Seal AG, Sonnet C, Oka K. Streamlined Adeno-Associated Virus Production Using Suspension HEK293T Cells. Bio Protoc 2024; 14:e4931. [PMID: 38379831 PMCID: PMC10875358 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.4931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs) are valuable viral vectors for in vivo gene transfer, also having significant ex vivo therapeutic potential. Continued efforts have focused on various gene therapy applications, capsid engineering, and scalable manufacturing processes. Adherent cells are commonly used for virus production in most basic science laboratories because of their efficiency and cost. Although suspension cells are easier to handle and scale up compared to adherent cells, their use in virus production is hampered by poor transfection efficiency. In this protocol, we developed a simple scalable AAV production protocol using serum-free-media-adapted HEK293T suspension cells and VirusGEN transfection reagent. The established protocol allows AAV production from transfection to quality analysis of purified AAV within two weeks. Typical vector yields for the described suspension system followed by iodixanol purification range from a total of 1 × 1013 to 1.5 × 1013 vg (vector genome) using 90 mL of cell suspension vs. 1 × 1013 to 2 × 1013 vg using a regular adherent cell protocol (10 × 15 cm dishes). Key features • Adeno-associated virus (AAV) production using serum-free-media-adapted HEK293T suspension cells. • Efficient transfection with VirusGEN. • High AAV yield from small-volume cell culture. Graphical overview.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi A. Kulkarni
- Gene Vector Core, Advanced Technology Cores, Baylor
College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Austin G. Seal
- Gene Vector Core, Advanced Technology Cores, Baylor
College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Corinne Sonnet
- Gene Vector Core, Advanced Technology Cores, Baylor
College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine,
Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kazuhiro Oka
- Gene Vector Core, Advanced Technology Cores, Baylor
College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor
College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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Henrickson A, Ding X, Seal AG, Qu Z, Tomlinson L, Forsey J, Gradinaru V, Oka K, Demeler B. Characterization and quantification of adeno-associated virus capsid-loading states by multi-wavelength analytical ultracentrifugation with UltraScan. Nanomedicine (Lond) 2023; 18:1519-1534. [PMID: 37877696 PMCID: PMC10652292 DOI: 10.2217/nnm-2023-0156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim: We present multi-wavelength (MW) analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) methods offering superior accuracy for adeno-associated virus characterization and quantification. Methods: Experimental design guidelines are presented for MW sedimentation velocity and analytical buoyant density equilibrium AUC. Results: Our results were compared with dual-wavelength AUC, transmission electron microscopy and mass photometry. In contrast to dual-wavelength AUC, MW-AUC correctly quantifies adeno-associated virus capsid ratios and identifies contaminants. In contrast to transmission electron microscopy, partially filled capsids can also be detected and quantified. In contrast to mass photometry, first-principle results are obtained. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates the improved information provided by MW-AUC, highlighting the utility of several recently integrated UltraScan programs, and reinforces AUC as the gold-standard analysis for viral vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Henrickson
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Xiaozhe Ding
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Austin G Seal
- Gene Vector Core, Advanced Technology Cores, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Zhe Qu
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | | | - John Forsey
- Pharmaron Biologics Ltd, Speke, Liverpool, L24 8RB, UK
| | - Viviana Gradinaru
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Kazuhiro Oka
- Gene Vector Core, Advanced Technology Cores, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, TX 77030, USA
| | - Borries Demeler
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
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Savelyev A, Brookes EH, Henrickson A, Demeler B. A new UltraScan module for the characterization and quantification of analytical buoyant density equilibrium experiments to determine AAV capsid loading. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL : EBJ 2023; 52:311-320. [PMID: 37014454 PMCID: PMC10524169 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-023-01641-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
A method for characterizing and quantifying peaks formed in an analytical buoyant density equilibrium (ABDE) experiment is presented. An algorithm is derived to calculate the concentration of the density forming gradient material at every point in the cell, provided the rotor speed, temperature, meniscus position, bottom of the cell position, and the loading concentration, molar mass, and partial specific volume of the density gradient-forming material are known. In addition, a new peak fitting algorithm has been developed which allows the user to automatically quantify the peaks formed in terms of density, apparent partial specific volume, and relative abundance. The method is suitable for both ionic and non-ionic density forming materials and can be used with data generated from the UV optical system as well as the AVIV fluorescence optical system. These methods have been programmed in a new UltraScan-III module (us_abde). Examples are shown that demonstrate the application of the new module to adeno-associated viral vector preparations and proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey Savelyev
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Emre H Brookes
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Amy Henrickson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Borries Demeler
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA.
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada.
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Kim J, de Haro M, Al-Ramahi I, Garaicoechea LL, Jeong HH, Sonn JY, Tadros B, Liu Z, Botas J, Zoghbi HY. Evolutionarily conserved regulators of tau identify targets for new therapies. Neuron 2023; 111:824-838.e7. [PMID: 36610398 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Tauopathies are neurodegenerative diseases that involve the pathological accumulation of tau proteins; in this family are Alzheimer disease, corticobasal degeneration, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, among others. Hypothesizing that reducing this accumulation could mitigate pathogenesis, we performed a cross-species genetic screen targeting 6,600 potentially druggable genes in human cells and Drosophila. We found and validated 83 hits in cells and further validated 11 hits in the mouse brain. Three of these hits (USP7, RNF130, and RNF149) converge on the C terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP) to regulate tau levels, highlighting the role of CHIP in maintaining tau proteostasis in the brain. Knockdown of each of these three genes in adult tauopathy mice reduced tau levels and rescued the disease phenotypes. This study thus identifies several points of intervention to reduce tau levels and demonstrates that reduction of tau levels via regulation of this pathway is a viable therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer disease and other tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiyoen Kim
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Maria de Haro
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ismael Al-Ramahi
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | | | - Hyun-Hwan Jeong
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jun Young Sonn
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Bakhos Tadros
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Zhandong Liu
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Juan Botas
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Huda Yahya Zoghbi
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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5
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Stem cell transplantation as a progressing treatment for retinitis pigmentosa. Cell Tissue Res 2022; 387:177-205. [PMID: 35001210 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-021-03551-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Retinal degenerative diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP) are of the major causes of vision loss in developed countries. Despite the unclear pathophysiology, treatment methods have been investigated vastly in the past decades. This review article mainly discusses the advances in application of stem cell and progenitor transplantation for retinitis pigmentosa. Stem cell sources such as mesenchymal stem cells, embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, neural stem cells, retinal progenitor cells, and olfactory ensheathing cells are discussed separately in addition to a brief description of two approaches for treatment of early-stage RP, including gene therapy and nutritional therapy.
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Park KW, Wood CA, Li J, Taylor BC, Oh S, Young NL, Jankowsky JL. Gene therapy using Aβ variants for amyloid reduction. Mol Ther 2021; 29:2294-2307. [PMID: 33647457 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2021.02.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous aggregation inhibitors have been developed with the goal of blocking or reversing toxic amyloid formation in vivo. Previous studies have used short peptide inhibitors targeting different amyloid β (Aβ) amyloidogenic regions to prevent aggregation. Despite the specificity that can be achieved by peptide inhibitors, translation of these strategies has been thwarted by two key obstacles: rapid proteolytic degradation in the bloodstream and poor transfer across the blood-brain barrier. To circumvent these problems, we have created a minigene to express full-length Aβ variants in the mouse brain. We identify two variants, F20P and F19D/L34P, that display four key properties required for therapeutic use: neither peptide aggregates on its own, both inhibit aggregation of wild-type Aβ in vitro, promote disassembly of pre-formed fibrils, and diminish toxicity of Aβ oligomers. We used intraventricular injection of adeno-associated virus (AAV) to express each variant in APP/PS1 transgenic mice. Lifelong expression of F20P, but not F19D/L34P, diminished Aβ levels, plaque burden, and plaque-associated neuroinflammation. Our findings suggest that AAV delivery of Aβ variants may offer a novel therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer's disease. More broadly our work offers a framework for identifying and delivering peptide inhibitors tailored to other protein-misfolding diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung-Won Park
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Caleb A Wood
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Bethany C Taylor
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - SaeWoong Oh
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon City, 16419 GyunggiDo, Republic of Korea
| | - Nicolas L Young
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Joanna L Jankowsky
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Neurology, and Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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