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Zhou K, Yuan M, Sun J, Zhang F, Zong X, Li Z, Tang D, Zhou L, Zheng J, Xiao X, Wu X. Sildenafil increases AAV9 transduction after a systemic administration and enhances AAV9-dystrophin therapeutic effect in mdx mice. Gene Ther 2024; 31:19-30. [PMID: 37500816 DOI: 10.1038/s41434-023-00411-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors have been successfully used to deliver genes for treating rare diseases. However, the systemic administration of high AAV vector doses triggers several adverse effects, including immune response, the asymptomatic elevation of liver transaminase levels, and complement activation. Thus, improving AAV transduction and reducing AAV dosage for treatment is necessary. Recently, we found that a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor significantly promoted AAV9 transduction in vitro by regulating the caveolae and macropinocytosis pathways. When AAV9-Gaussian luciferase (AAV9-Gluc) and AAV9-green fluorescent protein (AAV9-GFP) were injected intravenously into mice pre-treated with sildenafil, the expressions of Gluc in the plasma and GFP in muscle tissues significantly increased (P < 0.05). Sildenafil also improved Evans blue permeation in tissues. Additionally, we found that sildenafil promoted Treg proliferation, inhibited B-cell activation, and decreased anti-AAV9 IgG levels (P < 0.05). Furthermore, sildenafil significantly promoted Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy efficacy using AAV9 in mdx mice; it increased micro-dystrophin gene expression, forelimb grip strength, and time spent on the rotarod test, decreased serum creatine kinase levels, and ameliorated histopathology by improving muscle cell morphology and reducing fibrosis (P < 0.05). These results show that sildenafil significantly improved AAV transduction, suppressed the levels of anti-AAV9 IgG, and enhanced the efficacy of gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiyi Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Meng Yuan
- School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiabao Sun
- School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Feixu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoying Zong
- School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhanao Li
- School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Dingyue Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Lichen Zhou
- The General Hospital of Western Theater Command PLA, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Jing Zheng
- Belief BioMed, Xuhui District, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao Xiao
- School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27517, USA.
| | - Xia Wu
- School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.
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2
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Wang K, Zheng M, Askew C, Zhang X, Li C, Han Z. Elastin‐Like Polypeptides Facilitate Adeno‐Associated Virus Transduction in the Presence of Pre‐Existing Neutralizing Antibodies. ADVANCED THERAPEUTICS 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/adtp.202200128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kai Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill NC USA
| | - Min Zheng
- Department of Ophthalmology The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill NC USA
| | - Charles Askew
- Gene Therapy Center The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill NC USA
| | - Xintao Zhang
- Gene Therapy Center The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill NC USA
| | - Chengwen Li
- Gene Therapy Center The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill NC USA
- Department of Pediatrics The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill NC USA
| | - Zongchao Han
- Department of Ophthalmology The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill NC USA
- Pharmacoengineering & Molecular Pharmaceutics UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Chapel Hill NC USA
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3
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Zhang X, Chai Z, Samulski RJ, Li C. Bound Protein- and Peptide-Based Strategies for Adeno-Associated Virus Vector-Mediated Gene Therapy: Where Do We Stand Now? Hum Gene Ther 2020; 31:1146-1154. [PMID: 32940063 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2020.193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors have become one of the most promising and efficacious delivery vehicles for human gene therapy; however, low infectivity remains a major ongoing obstacle in the clinical application of rAAV vectors. Multiple strategies, including rAAV capsid modification and the application of pharmacological reagents, have been explored to enhance rAAV vector gene delivery. Recently, a new strategy using native proteins or various peptides has shown promise for increasing rAAV transduction locally or globally. This review summarizes the current status of protein- and peptide-based strategies and mechanisms to modulate rAAV transduction. We also provide a potential insight regarding the design of effective approaches for rAAV transduction enhancement in future clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xintao Zhang
- Gene Therapy Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Departments of
| | - Zheng Chai
- Gene Therapy Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Departments of
| | - R Jude Samulski
- Gene Therapy Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Departments of.,Pharmacology and
| | - Chengwen Li
- Gene Therapy Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Departments of.,Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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4
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Membrane fusion FerA domains enhance adeno-associated virus vector transduction. Biomaterials 2020; 241:119906. [PMID: 32114218 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2020.119906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vector has been successfully employed in clinical trials for patients with blindness and bleeding diseases as well as neuromuscular disorders. To date, it remains a major challenge to achieve higher transduction efficiency with a lower dose of rAAV vector. Our previous studies have demonstrated that serum proteins are able to directly interact with AAV virions for transduction enhancement. Herein, we explored the effect of the FerA domains, which are derived from ferlin proteins and possess membrane-fusion activity, on AAV transduction. Our results show that FerA domains from dysferlin, myoferlin, and otoferlin proteins are able to directly interact with AAV vectors and enhance AAV transduction in vitro and in mice through either intravenous or intramuscular injections. The enhanced AAV transduction induced by human/mouse FerA domains is achieved in various cell lines and in mice regardless of AAV serotypes. Mechanism studies demonstrated that the FerA domains could effectively enhance the ability of AAV vectors to bind to target cells and cross the vascular barrier. Additionally, FerA domains slow down the blood clearance of AAV. Systemic administration of AAV8/hFIX-FerA complex induced approximate 4-fold more human coagulation factor IX expression and improved hemostasis in hemophilia B mice than that of AAV8/hFIX. Collectively, we show, for the first time, that multiple FerA domains could be tethered on the AAV capsid and enhance widespread tissue distribution in an AAV serotypes-independent manner. This approach therefore holds a promise for future clinical application.
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6
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Chai Z, Zhang X, Dobbins AL, Rigsbee KM, Wang B, Samulski RJ, Li C. Optimization of Dexamethasone Administration for Maintaining Global Transduction Efficacy of Adeno-Associated Virus Serotype 9. Hum Gene Ther 2019; 30:829-840. [PMID: 30700148 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2018.233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoids have been commonly used in clinic for their anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects, and it has been proposed that they be used to prevent liver toxicity when systemic administration of adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors is needed in patients with central nervous system diseases and muscular disorders. Glucocorticoids also enable modulation of vascular permeability. First, this study investigated the impact of dexamethasone on AAV vascular permeability after systemic injection. When a low dose of AAV9 was injected into mice treated with dexamethasone, global transduction and vector biodistribution were not significantly different in most tissues, other than the liver and the heart, when compared to control mice. When AAV9 vectors were used at a high dose, both the transgene expression and the AAV vector genome copy number were significantly decreased in the majority of murine tissues. However, no effect on global transduction was observed when dexamethasone was administered 2 h after AAV vector injection. The study on the kinetics of AAV virus clearance demonstrated that dexamethasone slowed down the clearance of AAV9 in the blood after systemic application. The mechanism study showed that dexamethasone inhibited the enhancement of AAV9 vascular permeability mediated by serum proteins. The findings indicate that dexamethasone is able to inhibit the vascular permeability of AAV and compromise the therapeutic effect after systemic administration of AAV vector. In conclusion, this study provides valuable information for the design of future clinical studies when glucocorticoids are needed to be compatible with the systemic administration of AAV vectors in patients with central nervous system and muscular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Chai
- 1Gene Therapy Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Xintao Zhang
- 1Gene Therapy Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Amanda Lee Dobbins
- 1Gene Therapy Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Kelly Michelle Rigsbee
- 1Gene Therapy Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Bing Wang
- 2Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Richard Jude Samulski
- 1Gene Therapy Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.,3Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Chengwen Li
- 1Gene Therapy Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.,4Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.,5Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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7
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Colella P, Sellier P, Costa Verdera H, Puzzo F, van Wittenberghe L, Guerchet N, Daniele N, Gjata B, Marmier S, Charles S, Simon Sola M, Ragone I, Leborgne C, Collaud F, Mingozzi F. AAV Gene Transfer with Tandem Promoter Design Prevents Anti-transgene Immunity and Provides Persistent Efficacy in Neonate Pompe Mice. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2018; 12:85-101. [PMID: 30581888 PMCID: PMC6299151 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2018.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocyte-restricted, AAV-mediated gene transfer is being used to provide sustained, tolerogenic transgene expression in gene therapy. However, given the episomal status of the AAV genome, this approach cannot be applied to pediatric disorders when hepatocyte proliferation may result in significant loss of therapeutic efficacy over time. In addition, many multi-systemic diseases require widespread expression of the therapeutic transgene that, when provided with ubiquitous or tissue-specific non-hepatic promoters, often results in anti-transgene immunity. Here we have developed tandem promoter monocistronic expression cassettes that, packaged in a single AAV, provide combined hepatic and extra-hepatic tissue-specific transgene expression and prevent anti-transgene immunity. We validated our approach in infantile Pompe disease, a prototype disease caused by lack of the ubiquitous enzyme acid-alpha-glucosidase (GAA), presenting multi-systemic manifestations and detrimental anti-GAA immunity. We showed that the use of efficient tandem promoters prevents immune responses to GAA following systemic AAV gene transfer in immunocompetent Gaa−/− mice. Then we demonstrated that neonatal gene therapy with either AAV8 or AAV9 in Gaa−/− mice resulted in persistent therapeutic efficacy when using a tandem liver-muscle promoter (LiMP) that provided high and persistent transgene expression in non-dividing extra-hepatic tissues. In conclusion, the tandem promoter design overcomes important limitations of AAV-mediated gene transfer and can be beneficial when treating pediatric conditions requiring persistent multi-systemic transgene expression and prevention of anti-transgene immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pasqualina Colella
- Genethon, INSERM U951 Integrare, University of Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, 91002, Evry, France
| | - Pauline Sellier
- Genethon, INSERM U951 Integrare, University of Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, 91002, Evry, France.,University Pierre and Marie Curie Paris 6 and INSERM U974, 75651, Paris, France
| | - Helena Costa Verdera
- Genethon, INSERM U951 Integrare, University of Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, 91002, Evry, France.,University Pierre and Marie Curie Paris 6 and INSERM U974, 75651, Paris, France
| | - Francesco Puzzo
- Genethon, INSERM U951 Integrare, University of Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, 91002, Evry, France
| | | | - Nicolas Guerchet
- Genethon, INSERM U951 Integrare, University of Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, 91002, Evry, France
| | - Nathalie Daniele
- Genethon, INSERM U951 Integrare, University of Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, 91002, Evry, France
| | - Bernard Gjata
- Genethon, INSERM U951 Integrare, University of Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, 91002, Evry, France
| | - Solenne Marmier
- University Pierre and Marie Curie Paris 6 and INSERM U974, 75651, Paris, France
| | - Severine Charles
- Genethon, INSERM U951 Integrare, University of Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, 91002, Evry, France
| | - Marcelo Simon Sola
- Genethon, INSERM U951 Integrare, University of Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, 91002, Evry, France
| | - Isabella Ragone
- Genethon, INSERM U951 Integrare, University of Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, 91002, Evry, France
| | - Christian Leborgne
- Genethon, INSERM U951 Integrare, University of Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, 91002, Evry, France
| | - Fanny Collaud
- Genethon, INSERM U951 Integrare, University of Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, 91002, Evry, France
| | - Federico Mingozzi
- Genethon, INSERM U951 Integrare, University of Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, 91002, Evry, France.,University Pierre and Marie Curie Paris 6 and INSERM U974, 75651, Paris, France.,Spark Therapeutics, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA
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