1
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Zakas PM, Cunningham SC, Doherty A, van Dijk EB, Ibraheim R, Yu S, Mekonnen BD, Lang B, English EJ, Sun G, Duncan MC, Benczkowski MS, Altshuler RC, Singh MJ, Kibbler ES, Tonga GY, Wang ZJ, Wang ZJ, Li G, An D, Rottman JB, Bhavsar Y, Purcell C, Jain R, Alberry R, Roquet N, Fu Y, Citorik RJ, Rubens JR, Holmes MC, Cotta-Ramusino C, Querbes W, Alexander IE, Salomon WE. Sleeping Beauty mRNA-LNP enables stable rAAV transgene expression in mouse and NHP hepatocytes and improves vector potency. Mol Ther 2024:S1525-0016(24)00403-9. [PMID: 38981468 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2024.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vector gene delivery systems have demonstrated great promise in clinical trials but continue to face durability and dose-related challenges. Unlike rAAV gene therapy, integrating gene addition approaches can provide curative expression in mitotically active cells and pediatric populations. We explored a novel in vivo delivery approach based on an engineered transposase, Sleeping Beauty (SB100X), delivered as an mRNA within a lipid nanoparticle (LNP), in combination with an rAAV-delivered transposable transgene. This combinatorial approach achieved correction of ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency in the neonatal Spfash mouse model following a single delivery to dividing hepatocytes in the newborn liver. Correction remained stable into adulthood, while a conventional rAAV approach resulted in a return to the disease state. In non-human primates, integration by transposition, mediated by this technology, improved gene expression 10-fold over conventional rAAV-mediated gene transfer while requiring 5-fold less vector. Additionally, integration site analysis confirmed a random profile while specifically targeting TA dinucleotides across the genome. Together, these findings demonstrate that transposable elements can improve rAAV-delivered therapies by lowering the vector dose requirement and associated toxicity while expanding target cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sharon C Cunningham
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Ann Doherty
- Tessera Therapeutics, Inc., Somerville, MA 02143, USA
| | - Eva B van Dijk
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Raed Ibraheim
- Tessera Therapeutics, Inc., Somerville, MA 02143, USA
| | - Stephanie Yu
- Tessera Therapeutics, Inc., Somerville, MA 02143, USA
| | | | - Brendan Lang
- Tessera Therapeutics, Inc., Somerville, MA 02143, USA
| | | | - Gang Sun
- Tessera Therapeutics, Inc., Somerville, MA 02143, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Gulen Y Tonga
- Tessera Therapeutics, Inc., Somerville, MA 02143, USA
| | - Zi Jun Wang
- Tessera Therapeutics, Inc., Somerville, MA 02143, USA
| | - Z Jane Wang
- Tessera Therapeutics, Inc., Somerville, MA 02143, USA
| | - Guangde Li
- Tessera Therapeutics, Inc., Somerville, MA 02143, USA
| | - Ding An
- Tessera Therapeutics, Inc., Somerville, MA 02143, USA
| | | | | | | | - Rachit Jain
- Tessera Therapeutics, Inc., Somerville, MA 02143, USA
| | - Ryan Alberry
- Tessera Therapeutics, Inc., Somerville, MA 02143, USA
| | | | - Yanfang Fu
- Tessera Therapeutics, Inc., Somerville, MA 02143, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Ian E Alexander
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia; Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia.
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2
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Drouyer M, Chu TH, Labit E, Haase F, Navarro RG, Nazareth D, Rosin N, Merjane J, Scott S, Cabanes-Creus M, Westhaus A, Zhu E, Midha R, Alexander IE, Biernaskie J, Ginn SL, Lisowski L. Novel AAV variants with improved tropism for human Schwann cells. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2024; 32:101234. [PMID: 38558569 PMCID: PMC10978538 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2024.101234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Gene therapies and associated technologies are transforming biomedical research and enabling novel therapeutic options for patients living with debilitating and incurable genetic disorders. The vector system based on recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors (AAVs) has shown great promise in recent clinical trials for genetic diseases of multiple organs, such as the liver and the nervous system. Despite recent successes toward the development of novel bioengineered AAV variants for improved transduction of primary human tissues and cells, vectors that can efficiently transduce human Schwann cells (hSCs) have yet to be identified. Here, we report the application of the functional transduction-RNA selection method in primary hSCs for the development of AAV variants for specific and efficient transgene delivery to hSCs. The two identified capsid variants, Pep2hSC1 and Pep2hSC2, show conserved potency for delivery across various in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo models of hSCs. These novel AAV capsids will serve as valuable research tools, forming the basis for therapeutic solutions for both SC-related disorders or peripheral nervous system injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthieu Drouyer
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Tak-Ho Chu
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Elodie Labit
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Florencia Haase
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Renina Gale Navarro
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Deborah Nazareth
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Nicole Rosin
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jessica Merjane
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Suzanne Scott
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Marti Cabanes-Creus
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Adrian Westhaus
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Erhua Zhu
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute and Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Rajiv Midha
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Ian E. Alexander
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute and Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
- Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jeff Biernaskie
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Surgery, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Samantha L. Ginn
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute and Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Leszek Lisowski
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
- Australian Genome Therapeutics Centre, Children’s Medical Research Institute and Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, Westmead, NSW, Australia
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Innovative Therapies, Military Institute of Medicine - National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland
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3
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Graves LE, van Dijk EB, Zhu E, Koyyalamudi S, Wotton T, Sung D, Srinivasan S, Ginn SL, Alexander IE. AAV-delivered hepato-adrenal cooperativity in steroidogenesis: Implications for gene therapy for congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2024; 32:101232. [PMID: 38558568 PMCID: PMC10979120 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2024.101232] [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: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Despite the availability of life-saving corticosteroids for 70 years, treatment for adrenal insufficiency is not able to recapitulate physiological diurnal cortisol secretion and results in numerous complications. Gene therapy is an attractive possibility for monogenic adrenocortical disorders such as congenital adrenal hyperplasia; however, requires further development of gene transfer/editing technologies and knowledge of the target progenitor cell populations. Vectors based on adeno-associated virus are the leading system for direct in vivo gene delivery but have limitations in targeting replicating cell populations such as in the adrenal cortex. One strategy to overcome this technological limitation is to deliver the relevant adrenocortical gene to a currently targetable organ outside of the adrenal cortex. To explore this possibility, we developed a vector encoding human 21-hydroxylase and directed expression to the liver in a mouse model of congenital adrenal hyperplasia. This extra-adrenal expression resulted in reconstitution of the steroidogenic pathway. Aldosterone and renin levels normalized, and corticosterone levels improved sufficiently to reduce adrenal hyperplasia. This strategy could provide an alternative treatment option for monogenic adrenal disorders, particularly for mineralocorticoid defects. These findings also demonstrate, when targeting the adrenal gland, that inadvertent liver transduction should be precluded as it may confound data interpretation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara E. Graves
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney and Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
- Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
- Institute of Endocrinology and Diabetes, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Eva B. van Dijk
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney and Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Erhua Zhu
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney and Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Sundar Koyyalamudi
- Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
- Institute of Endocrinology and Diabetes, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Tiffany Wotton
- NSW Newborn Screening Program, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Dinah Sung
- NSW Newborn Screening Program, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Shubha Srinivasan
- Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
- Institute of Endocrinology and Diabetes, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Samantha L. Ginn
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney and Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Ian E. Alexander
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney and Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
- Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
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4
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Willimann M, Tiyaboonchai A, Adachi K, Li B, Waldburger L, Nakai H, Grompe M, Thöny B. AAV Capsid Screening for Translational Pig Research Using a Mouse Xenograft Liver Model. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.29.596409. [PMID: 38853940 PMCID: PMC11160762 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.29.596409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
In gene therapy, delivery vectors are a key component for successful gene delivery and safety, based on which adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) gained popularity in particular for the liver, but also for other organs. Traditionally, rodents have been used as animal models to develop and optimize treatments, but species and organ specific tropism of AAV desire large animal models more closely related to humans for preclinical in-depth studies. Relevant AAV variants with the potential for clinical translation in liver gene therapy were previously evolved in vivo in a xenogeneic mouse model transplanted with human hepatocytes. Here, we selected and evaluated efficient AAV capsids using chimeric mice with a >90% xenografted pig hepatocytes. The pig is a valuable preclinical model for therapy studies due to its anatomic and immunological similarities to humans. Using a DNA-barcoded recombinant AAV library containing 47 different capsids and subsequent Illumina sequencing of barcodes in the AAV vector genome DNA and transcripts in the porcine hepatocytes, we found the AAVLK03 and AAVrh20 capsid to be the most efficient delivery vectors regarding transgene expression in porcine hepatocytes. In attempting to validate these findings with primary porcine hepatocytes, we observed capsid-specific differences in cell entry and transgene expression efficiency where the AAV2, AAVAnc80, and AAVDJ capsids showed superior efficiency to AAVLK03 and AAVrh20. This work highlights intricacies of in vitro testing with primary hepatocytes and the requirements for suitable pre-clinical animal models but suggests the chimeric mouse to be a valuable model to predict AAV capsids to transduce porcine hepatocytes efficiently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Willimann
- University Children's Hospital Zurich, Division of Metabolism and Children's Research Center, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Amita Tiyaboonchai
- Oregon Health & Science University, Stem Cell Center, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Kei Adachi
- Oregon Health & Science University, Department of Molecular & Medical Genetics, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Bin Li
- Oregon Health & Science University, Stem Cell Center, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Lea Waldburger
- University Children's Hospital Zurich, Division of Metabolism and Children's Research Center, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hiroyuki Nakai
- Oregon Health & Science University, Department of Molecular & Medical Genetics, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Markus Grompe
- Oregon Health & Science University, Stem Cell Center, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Beat Thöny
- University Children's Hospital Zurich, Division of Metabolism and Children's Research Center, Zurich, Switzerland
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5
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Cabanes-Creus M, Liao SHY, Gale Navarro R, Knight M, Nazareth D, Lau NS, Ly M, Zhu E, Roca-Pinilla R, Bugallo Delgado R, Vicente AF, Baltazar G, Westhaus A, Merjane J, Crawford M, McCaughan GW, Unzu C, González-Aseguinolaza G, Alexander IE, Pulitano C, Lisowski L. Harnessing whole human liver ex situ normothermic perfusion for preclinical AAV vector evaluation. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1876. [PMID: 38485924 PMCID: PMC10940703 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46194-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Developing clinically predictive model systems for evaluating gene transfer and gene editing technologies has become increasingly important in the era of personalized medicine. Liver-directed gene therapies present a unique challenge due to the complexity of the human liver. In this work, we describe the application of whole human liver explants in an ex situ normothermic perfusion system to evaluate a set of fourteen natural and bioengineered adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors directly in human liver, in the presence and absence of neutralizing human sera. Under non-neutralizing conditions, the recently developed AAV variants, AAV-SYD12 and AAV-LK03, emerged as the most functional variants in terms of cellular uptake and transgene expression. However, when assessed in the presence of human plasma containing anti-AAV neutralizing antibodies (NAbs), vectors of human origin, specifically those derived from AAV2/AAV3b, were extensively neutralized, whereas AAV8- derived variants performed efficiently. This study demonstrates the potential of using normothermic liver perfusion as a model for early-stage testing of liver-focused gene therapies. The results offer preliminary insights that could help inform the development of more effective translational strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marti Cabanes-Creus
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | - Sophia H Y Liao
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | - Renina Gale Navarro
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | - Maddison Knight
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | - Deborah Nazareth
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | - Ngee-Soon Lau
- Australian National Liver Transplantation Unit, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Centre for Organ Assessment Repair and Optimisation, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Mark Ly
- Australian National Liver Transplantation Unit, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Centre for Organ Assessment Repair and Optimisation, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Erhua Zhu
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute and The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | - Ramon Roca-Pinilla
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | - Ricardo Bugallo Delgado
- Gene Therapy and Regulation of Gene Expression Department, IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Universidad de Navarra, CIMA, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Ana F Vicente
- Gene Therapy and Regulation of Gene Expression Department, IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Universidad de Navarra, CIMA, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Grober Baltazar
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | - Adrian Westhaus
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | - Jessica Merjane
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | - Michael Crawford
- Australian National Liver Transplantation Unit, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Centre for Organ Assessment Repair and Optimisation, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Geoffrey W McCaughan
- Australian National Liver Transplantation Unit, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Liver Injury and Cancer Program, Centenary Research Institute, A.W Morrow Gastroenterology and Liver Centre, Sydney, Australia
| | - Carmen Unzu
- Gene Therapy and Regulation of Gene Expression Department, IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Universidad de Navarra, CIMA, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Gloria González-Aseguinolaza
- Gene Therapy and Regulation of Gene Expression Department, IdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Universidad de Navarra, CIMA, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Ian E Alexander
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute and The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Sydney, Westmead, Australia
- Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, Westmead, Australia
- Australian Genome Therapeutics Centre, Children's Medical Research Institute and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | - Carlo Pulitano
- Australian National Liver Transplantation Unit, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Centre for Organ Assessment Repair and Optimisation, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Leszek Lisowski
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Westmead, Australia.
- Australian Genome Therapeutics Centre, Children's Medical Research Institute and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Sydney, Westmead, Australia.
- Military Institute of Medicine - National Research Institute, Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Innovative Therapies, Warsaw, Poland.
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6
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Drouyer M, Merjane J, Nazareth D, Knight M, Scott S, Liao SHY, Ginn SL, Zhu E, Alexander IE, Lisowski L. Development of CNS tropic AAV1-like variants with reduced liver-targeting following systemic administration in mice. Mol Ther 2024; 32:818-836. [PMID: 38297833 PMCID: PMC10928139 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2024.01.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Directed evolution of natural AAV9 using peptide display libraries have been widely used in the search for an optimal recombinant AAV (rAAV) for transgene delivery across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to the CNS following intravenous ( IV) injection. In this study, we used a different approach by creating a shuffled rAAV capsid library based on parental AAV serotypes 1 through 12. Following selection in mice, 3 novel variants closely related to AAV1, AAV-BBB6, AAV-BBB28, and AAV-BBB31, emerged as top candidates. In direct comparisons with AAV9, our novel variants demonstrated an over 270-fold improvement in CNS transduction and exhibited a clear bias toward neuronal cells. Intriguingly, our AAV-BBB variants relied on the LY6A cellular receptor for CNS entry, similar to AAV9 peptide variants AAV-PHP.eB and AAV.CAP-B10, despite the different bioengineering methods used and parental backgrounds. The variants also showed reduced transduction of both mouse liver and human primary hepatocytes in vivo. To increase clinical translatability, we enhanced the immune escape properties of our new variants by introducing additional modifications based on rational design. Overall, our study highlights the potential of AAV1-like vectors for efficient CNS transduction with reduced liver tropism, offering promising prospects for CNS gene therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthieu Drouyer
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Jessica Merjane
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Deborah Nazareth
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Maddison Knight
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Suzanne Scott
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Sophia H Y Liao
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Samantha L Ginn
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Erhua Zhu
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Ian E Alexander
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia; Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Leszek Lisowski
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia; Australian Genome Therapeutics Centre, Children's Medical Research Institute and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Westmead, NSW, Australia; Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Innovative Therapies, Military Institute of Medicine - National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland.
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7
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Torella L, Klermund J, Bilbao-Arribas M, Tamayo I, Andrieux G, Chmielewski KO, Vales A, Olagüe C, Moreno-Luqui D, Raimondi I, Abad A, Torrens-Baile J, Salido E, Huarte M, Hernaez M, Boerries M, Cathomen T, Zabaleta N, Gonzalez-Aseguinolaza G. Efficient and safe therapeutic use of paired Cas9-nickases for primary hyperoxaluria type 1. EMBO Mol Med 2024; 16:112-131. [PMID: 38182795 PMCID: PMC10897483 DOI: 10.1038/s44321-023-00008-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The therapeutic use of adeno-associated viral vector (AAV)-mediated gene disruption using CRISPR-Cas9 is limited by potential off-target modifications and the risk of uncontrolled integration of vector genomes into CRISPR-mediated double-strand breaks. To address these concerns, we explored the use of AAV-delivered paired Staphylococcus aureus nickases (D10ASaCas9) to target the Hao1 gene for the treatment of primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH1). Our study demonstrated effective Hao1 gene disruption, a significant decrease in glycolate oxidase expression, and a therapeutic effect in PH1 mice. The assessment of undesired genetic modifications through CIRCLE-seq and CAST-Seq analyses revealed neither off-target activity nor chromosomal translocations. Importantly, the use of paired-D10ASaCas9 resulted in a significant reduction in AAV integration at the target site compared to SaCas9 nuclease. In addition, our study highlights the limitations of current analytical tools in characterizing modifications introduced by paired D10ASaCas9, necessitating the development of a custom pipeline for more accurate characterization. These results describe a positive advance towards a safe and effective potential long-term treatment for PH1 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Torella
- DNA & RNA Medicine Division, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, 31008, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Julia Klermund
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine and Gene Therapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
- Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI), Medical Center - University of Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Martin Bilbao-Arribas
- DNA & RNA Medicine Division, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, 31008, Pamplona, Spain
- IdISNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, 31008, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Ibon Tamayo
- IdISNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, 31008, Pamplona, Spain
- Bioinformatics Core, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, 31008, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Geoffroy Andrieux
- Institute of Medical Bioinformatics and Systems Medicine, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, 79110, Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Kay O Chmielewski
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine and Gene Therapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
- Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI), Medical Center - University of Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Africa Vales
- DNA & RNA Medicine Division, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, 31008, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Cristina Olagüe
- DNA & RNA Medicine Division, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, 31008, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Daniel Moreno-Luqui
- DNA & RNA Medicine Division, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, 31008, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Ivan Raimondi
- DNA & RNA Medicine Division, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, 31008, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Amaya Abad
- DNA & RNA Medicine Division, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, 31008, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Julen Torrens-Baile
- DNA & RNA Medicine Division, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, 31008, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Eduardo Salido
- Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Universidad La Laguna, CIBERER, 38320, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Maite Huarte
- DNA & RNA Medicine Division, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, 31008, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Mikel Hernaez
- IdISNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, 31008, Pamplona, Spain
- Bioinformatics Core, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, 31008, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Melanie Boerries
- Institute of Medical Bioinformatics and Systems Medicine, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, 79110, Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Toni Cathomen
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine and Gene Therapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
- Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI), Medical Center - University of Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Nerea Zabaleta
- Grousbeck Gene Therapy Center, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Mass Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, 02114, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Gloria Gonzalez-Aseguinolaza
- DNA & RNA Medicine Division, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, 31008, Pamplona, Spain.
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8
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Westhaus A, Eamegdool SS, Fernando M, Fuller-Carter P, Brunet AA, Miller AL, Rashwan R, Knight M, Daniszewski M, Lidgerwood GE, Pébay A, Hewitt A, Santilli G, Thrasher AJ, Carvalho LS, Gonzalez-Cordero A, Jamieson RV, Lisowski L. AAV capsid bioengineering in primary human retina models. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21946. [PMID: 38081924 PMCID: PMC10713676 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49112-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector-mediated retinal gene therapy is an active field of both pre-clinical as well as clinical research. As with other gene therapy clinical targets, novel bioengineered AAV variants developed by directed evolution or rational design to possess unique desirable properties, are entering retinal gene therapy translational programs. However, it is becoming increasingly evident that predictive preclinical models are required to develop and functionally validate these novel AAVs prior to clinical studies. To investigate if, and to what extent, primary retinal explant culture could be used for AAV capsid development, this study performed a large high-throughput screen of 51 existing AAV capsids in primary human retina explants and other models of the human retina. Furthermore, we applied transgene expression-based directed evolution to develop novel capsids for more efficient transduction of primary human retina cells and compared the top variants to the strongest existing benchmarks identified in the screening described above. A direct side-by-side comparison of the newly developed capsids in four different in vitro and ex vivo model systems of the human retina allowed us to identify novel AAV variants capable of high transgene expression in primary human retina cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Westhaus
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Teaching and Research Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
- Genethon, Evry, France
| | - Steven S Eamegdool
- Eye Genetics Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | - Milan Fernando
- Stem Cell and Organoid Facility, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | | | - Alicia A Brunet
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia
| | - Annie L Miller
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia
| | | | - Maddison Knight
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | - Maciej Daniszewski
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Grace E Lidgerwood
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Alice Pébay
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Surgery, Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Alex Hewitt
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Giorgia Santilli
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Teaching and Research Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Adrian J Thrasher
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Teaching and Research Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Livia S Carvalho
- Lions Eye Institute, Nedlands, Australia
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia
| | - Anai Gonzalez-Cordero
- Stem Cell and Organoid Facility, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
- Stem Cell Medicine Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | - Robyn V Jamieson
- Eye Genetics Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | - Leszek Lisowski
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia.
- Australian Genome Therapeutics Centre, Children's Medical Research Institute and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia.
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Innovative Therapies, Military Institute of Medicine - National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland.
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9
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Kok CY, Tsurusaki S, Cabanes-Creus M, Igoor S, Rao R, Skelton R, Liao SH, Ginn SL, Knight M, Scott S, Mietzsch M, Fitzsimmons R, Miller J, Mohamed TM, McKenna R, Chong JJ, Hill AP, Hudson JE, Alexander IE, Lisowski L, Kizana E. Development of new adeno-associated virus capsid variants for targeted gene delivery to human cardiomyocytes. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2023; 30:459-473. [PMID: 37674904 PMCID: PMC10477751 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2023.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs) have emerged as one of the most promising gene therapy vectors that have been successfully used in pre-clinical models of heart disease. However, this has not translated well to humans due to species differences in rAAV transduction efficiency. As a result, the search for human cardiotropic capsids is a major contemporary challenge. We used a capsid-shuffled rAAV library to perform directed evolution in human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs). Five candidates emerged, with four presenting high sequence identity to AAV6, while a fifth divergent variant was related to AAV3b. Functional analysis of the variants was performed in vitro using hiPSC-CMs, cardiac organoids, human cardiac slices, non-human primate and porcine cardiac slices, as well as mouse heart and liver in vivo. We showed that cell entry was not the best predictor of transgene expression efficiency. The novel variant rAAV.KK04 was the best-performing vector in human-based screening platforms, exceeding the benchmark rAAV6. None of the novel capsids demonstrate a significant transduction of liver in vivo. The range of experimental models used revealed the value of testing for tropism differences under the conditions of human specificity, bona fide, myocardium and cell type of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy Y. Kok
- Centre for Heart Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
- Westmead Clinical School, the Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Shinya Tsurusaki
- Centre for Heart Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Marti Cabanes-Creus
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Sindhu Igoor
- Centre for Heart Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Renuka Rao
- Centre for Heart Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Rhys Skelton
- Centre for Heart Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Sophia H.Y. Liao
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Samantha L. Ginn
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney and Sydney Children’s Hospital Network, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Maddison Knight
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Suzanne Scott
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Mario Mietzsch
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, Center for Structural Biology, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610-0245, USA
| | - Rebecca Fitzsimmons
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Jessica Miller
- Institute of Molecular Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Tamer M.A. Mohamed
- Institute of Molecular Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9NT, UK
- Surgery Department, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Robert McKenna
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, Center for Structural Biology, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610-0245, USA
| | - James J.H. Chong
- Centre for Heart Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
- Westmead Clinical School, the Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
- Department of Cardiology, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Adam P. Hill
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - James E. Hudson
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Ian E. Alexander
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney and Sydney Children’s Hospital Network, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
- Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Leszek Lisowski
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
- Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Biological Threats Identification and Countermeasure Centre, 24-100 Pulawy, Poland
| | - Eddy Kizana
- Centre for Heart Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
- Westmead Clinical School, the Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
- Department of Cardiology, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
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10
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Cunningham SC, van Dijk EB, Zhu E, Sugden M, Mandwie M, Siew S, Devanapalli B, Tolun AA, Klein A, Wilson L, Aryamanesh N, Gissen P, Baruteau J, Bhattacharya K, Alexander IE. Recapitulation of Skewed X-Inactivation in Female Ornithine Transcarbamylase-Deficient Primary Human Hepatocytes in the FRG Mouse: A Novel System for Developing Epigenetic Therapies. Hum Gene Ther 2023; 34:917-926. [PMID: 37350098 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2023.011] [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] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Realization of the immense therapeutic potential of epigenetic editing requires development of clinically predictive model systems that faithfully recapitulate relevant aspects of the target disease pathophysiology. In female patients with ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency, an X-linked condition, skewed inactivation of the X chromosome carrying the wild-type OTC allele is associated with increased disease severity. The majority of affected female patients can be managed medically, but a proportion require liver transplantation. With rapid development of epigenetic editing technology, reactivation of silenced wild-type OTC alleles is becoming an increasingly plausible therapeutic approach. Toward this end, privileged access to explanted diseased livers from two affected female infants provided the opportunity to explore whether engraftment and expansion of dissociated patient-derived hepatocytes in the FRG mouse might produce a relevant model for evaluation of epigenetic interventions. Hepatocytes from both infants were successfully used to generate chimeric mouse-human livers, in which clusters of primary human hepatocytes were either OTC positive or negative by immunohistochemistry (IHC), consistent with clonal expansion from individual hepatocytes in which the mutant or wild-type OTC allele was inactivated, respectively. Enumeration of the proportion of OTC-positive or -negative human hepatocyte clusters was consistent with dramatic skewing in one infant and minimal to modest skewing in the other. Importantly, IHC and fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis of intact and dissociated liver samples from both infants showed qualitatively similar patterns, confirming that the chimeric mouse-human liver model recapitulated the native state in each infant. Also of importance was the induction of a treatable metabolic phenotype, orotic aciduria, in mice, which correlated with the presence of clonally expanded OTC-negative primary human hepatocytes. We are currently using this unique model to explore CRISPR-dCas9-based epigenetic targeting strategies in combination with efficient adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene delivery to reactivate the silenced functional OTC gene on the inactive X chromosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon C Cunningham
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Westmead, Australia
| | - Eva B van Dijk
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Westmead, Australia
| | - Erhua Zhu
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Westmead, Australia
| | - Maya Sugden
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Westmead, Australia
| | - Mawj Mandwie
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Westmead, Australia
| | - Susan Siew
- Department of Gastroenterology, James Fairfax Institute of Paediatric Nutrition, Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Westmead, Australia
- Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | - Beena Devanapalli
- NSW Biochemical Genetics Service, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, Australia
| | - Adviye Ayper Tolun
- Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
- NSW Biochemical Genetics Service, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, Australia
| | - Anne Klein
- Australian e-Health Research Centre, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Sydney, Australia
| | - Laurence Wilson
- Australian e-Health Research Centre, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Sydney, Australia
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, Australia
| | - Nader Aryamanesh
- Embryology Research Unit, Bioinformatics Group, Children's Medical Research Institute, University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | - Paul Gissen
- National Institute for Health Research Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Julien Baruteau
- National Institute for Health Research Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kaustuv Bhattacharya
- Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
- Genetic Metabolic Disorders Service, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia
| | - Ian E Alexander
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Westmead, Australia
- Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
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11
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Sasaki N, Kok CY, Westhaus A, Alexander IE, Lisowski L, Kizana E. In Search of Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors With Enhanced Cardiac Tropism for Gene Therapy. Heart Lung Circ 2023; 32:816-824. [PMID: 37451880 DOI: 10.1016/j.hlc.2023.06.704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Globally, adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors have been increasingly used for clinical gene therapy trials. In Australia, AAV-based gene therapy is available for hereditary diseases such as retinal dystrophy or spinal muscular atrophy 1 (SMA1). Many preclinical studies have used AAV vectors for gene therapy in models of cardiac disease with outcomes of varying translational potential. However, major barriers to effective and safe therapeutic gene delivery to the human heart remain to be overcome. These include tropism, efficient gene transfer, mitigating off-target gene delivery and avoidance of the host immune response. Developing such an enhanced AAV vector for cardiac gene therapy is of great interest to the field of advanced cardiac therapeutics. In this review, we provide an overview of the approaches currently being employed in the search for cardiac cell-specific AAV capsids, ranging from natural AAVs selected as a result of infection and latency in the heart, to the use of cutting-edge molecular techniques to engineer and select AAVs specific for cardiac cells with the use of high-throughput methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natsuki Sasaki
- The Centre for Heart Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Cindy Y Kok
- The Centre for Heart Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Adrian Westhaus
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Ian E Alexander
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Leszek Lisowski
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Innovative Therapies, Military Institute of Medicine, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Eddy Kizana
- The Centre for Heart Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Department of Cardiology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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12
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Morfopoulou S, Buddle S, Torres Montaguth OE, Atkinson L, Guerra-Assunção JA, Moradi Marjaneh M, Zennezini Chiozzi R, Storey N, Campos L, Hutchinson JC, Counsell JR, Pollara G, Roy S, Venturini C, Antinao Diaz JF, Siam A, Tappouni LJ, Asgarian Z, Ng J, Hanlon KS, Lennon A, McArdle A, Czap A, Rosenheim J, Andrade C, Anderson G, Lee JCD, Williams R, Williams CA, Tutill H, Bayzid N, Martin Bernal LM, Macpherson H, Montgomery KA, Moore C, Templeton K, Neill C, Holden M, Gunson R, Shepherd SJ, Shah P, Cooray S, Voice M, Steele M, Fink C, Whittaker TE, Santilli G, Gissen P, Kaufer BB, Reich J, Andreani J, Simmonds P, Alrabiah DK, Castellano S, Chikowore P, Odam M, Rampling T, Houlihan C, Hoschler K, Talts T, Celma C, Gonzalez S, Gallagher E, Simmons R, Watson C, Mandal S, Zambon M, Chand M, Hatcher J, De S, Baillie K, Semple MG, Martin J, Ushiro-Lumb I, Noursadeghi M, Deheragoda M, Hadzic N, Grammatikopoulos T, Brown R, Kelgeri C, Thalassinos K, Waddington SN, Jacques TS, Thomson E, Levin M, Brown JR, Breuer J. Genomic investigations of unexplained acute hepatitis in children. Nature 2023; 617:564-573. [PMID: 36996872 PMCID: PMC10170458 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06003-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 53.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023]
Abstract
Since its first identification in Scotland, over 1,000 cases of unexplained paediatric hepatitis in children have been reported worldwide, including 278 cases in the UK1. Here we report an investigation of 38 cases, 66 age-matched immunocompetent controls and 21 immunocompromised comparator participants, using a combination of genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic and immunohistochemical methods. We detected high levels of adeno-associated virus 2 (AAV2) DNA in the liver, blood, plasma or stool from 27 of 28 cases. We found low levels of adenovirus (HAdV) and human herpesvirus 6B (HHV-6B) in 23 of 31 and 16 of 23, respectively, of the cases tested. By contrast, AAV2 was infrequently detected and at low titre in the blood or the liver from control children with HAdV, even when profoundly immunosuppressed. AAV2, HAdV and HHV-6 phylogeny excluded the emergence of novel strains in cases. Histological analyses of explanted livers showed enrichment for T cells and B lineage cells. Proteomic comparison of liver tissue from cases and healthy controls identified increased expression of HLA class 2, immunoglobulin variable regions and complement proteins. HAdV and AAV2 proteins were not detected in the livers. Instead, we identified AAV2 DNA complexes reflecting both HAdV-mediated and HHV-6B-mediated replication. We hypothesize that high levels of abnormal AAV2 replication products aided by HAdV and, in severe cases, HHV-6B may have triggered immune-mediated hepatic disease in genetically and immunologically predisposed children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Morfopoulou
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
- Section for Paediatrics, Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Sarah Buddle
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Oscar Enrique Torres Montaguth
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Laura Atkinson
- Department of Microbiology, Virology and Infection Control, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - José Afonso Guerra-Assunção
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Mahdi Moradi Marjaneh
- Section for Paediatrics, Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Section of Virology, Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Riccardo Zennezini Chiozzi
- University College London Mass Spectrometry Science Technology Platform, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Nathaniel Storey
- Department of Microbiology, Virology and Infection Control, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Luis Campos
- Histopathology Department, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - J Ciaran Hutchinson
- Histopathology Department, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - John R Counsell
- Research Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, UK
| | - Gabriele Pollara
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sunando Roy
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Cristina Venturini
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Juan F Antinao Diaz
- Research Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, UK
| | - Ala'a Siam
- Research Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, UK
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, EGA-Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Luke J Tappouni
- Research Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, UK
| | - Zeinab Asgarian
- Research Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, UK
| | - Joanne Ng
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, EGA-Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Killian S Hanlon
- Research Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, UK
| | - Alexander Lennon
- Department of Microbiology, Virology and Infection Control, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Andrew McArdle
- Section for Paediatrics, Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Agata Czap
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK
| | - Joshua Rosenheim
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK
| | - Catarina Andrade
- Histopathology Department, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Glenn Anderson
- Histopathology Department, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Jack C D Lee
- Department of Microbiology, Virology and Infection Control, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Rachel Williams
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Charlotte A Williams
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Helena Tutill
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Nadua Bayzid
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Luz Marina Martin Bernal
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Hannah Macpherson
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Kylie-Ann Montgomery
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Catherine Moore
- Wales Specialist Virology Centre, Public Health Wales Microbiology Cardiff, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK
| | - Kate Templeton
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Claire Neill
- Public Health Agency Northern Ireland, Belfast, UK
| | - Matt Holden
- School of Medicine, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, UK
- Public Health Scotland, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Rory Gunson
- West of Scotland Specialist Virology Centre, Glasgow, UK
| | | | - Priyen Shah
- Section for Paediatrics, Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Samantha Cooray
- Section for Paediatrics, Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Marie Voice
- Micropathology Ltd, University of Warwick Science Park, Coventry, UK
| | - Michael Steele
- Micropathology Ltd, University of Warwick Science Park, Coventry, UK
| | - Colin Fink
- Micropathology Ltd, University of Warwick Science Park, Coventry, UK
| | - Thomas E Whittaker
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Giorgia Santilli
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Paul Gissen
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Jana Reich
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Julien Andreani
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Peter Simmonds
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Dimah K Alrabiah
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
- National Centre for Biotechnology, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sergi Castellano
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
- University College London Genomics, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Miranda Odam
- Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tommy Rampling
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK
- UK Health Security Agency, London, UK
- Hospital for Tropical Diseases, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Catherine Houlihan
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK
- UK Health Security Agency, London, UK
- Department of Clinical Virology, University College London Hospitals, London, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - James Hatcher
- Department of Microbiology, Virology and Infection Control, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Surjo De
- Department of Microbiology, Virology and Infection Control, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | | | - Malcolm Gracie Semple
- Pandemic Institute, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- Respiratory Medicine, Alder Hey Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK
| | - Joanne Martin
- Centre for Genomics and Child Health, The Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | | | - Mahdad Noursadeghi
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK
| | | | | | | | - Rachel Brown
- Department of Cellular Pathology, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Chayarani Kelgeri
- Liver Unit, Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Konstantinos Thalassinos
- University College London Mass Spectrometry Science Technology Platform, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London, UK
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London, UK
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, UK
| | - Simon N Waddington
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, EGA-Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, UK
- Medical Research Council Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witswatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Thomas S Jacques
- Histopathology Department, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- Developmental Biology and Cancer Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Emma Thomson
- Medical Research Council-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, UK
| | - Michael Levin
- Section for Paediatrics, Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Julianne R Brown
- Department of Microbiology, Virology and Infection Control, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Judith Breuer
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.
- Department of Microbiology, Virology and Infection Control, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
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13
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Rana J, Marsic D, Zou C, Muñoz-Melero M, Li X, Kondratov O, Li N, de Jong YP, Zolotukhin S, Biswas M. Characterization of a Bioengineered AAV3B Capsid Variant with Enhanced Hepatocyte Tropism and Immune Evasion. Hum Gene Ther 2023; 34:289-302. [PMID: 36950804 PMCID: PMC10125406 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2022.176] [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: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Capsid engineering of adeno-associated virus (AAV) can surmount current limitations to gene therapy such as broad tissue tropism, low transduction efficiency, or pre-existing neutralizing antibodies (NAb) that restrict patient eligibility. We previously generated an AAV3B combinatorial capsid library by integrating rational design and directed evolution with the aim of improving hepatotropism. A potential isolate, AAV3B-DE5, gained a selective proliferative advantage over five rounds of iterative selection in hepatocyte spheroid cultures. In this study, we reanalyzed our original dataset derived from the AAV3B combinatorial library and isolated variants from earlier (one to three) rounds of selection, with the assumption that variants with faster replication kinetics are not necessarily the most efficient transducers. We identified a potential candidate, AAV3B-V04, which demonstrated significantly enhanced transduction in mouse-passaged primary human hepatocytes as well as in humanized liver chimeric mice, compared to the parental AAV3B or the previously described isolate, AAV3B-DE5. Interestingly, the AAV3B-V04 capsid variant exhibited significantly reduced seroreactivity to pooled or individual human serum samples. Forty-four percent of serum samples with pre-existing NAbs to AAV3B had 5- to 20-fold lower reciprocal NAb titers to AAV3B-V04. AAV3B-V04 has only nine amino acid substitutions, clustered in variable region IV compared to AAV3B, indicating the importance of the loops at the top of the three-fold protrusions in determining both transduction efficiency and immunogenicity. This study highlights the effectiveness of rational design combined with targeted selection for enhanced AAV transduction via molecular evolution approaches. Our findings support the concept of limiting selection rounds to isolate the best transducing AAV3B variant without outgrowth of faster replicating candidates. We conclude that AAV3B-V04 provides advantages such as improved human hepatocyte tropism and immune evasion and propose its utility as a superior candidate for liver gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyoti Rana
- Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Damien Marsic
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Therapy, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Porton Biologics, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chenhui Zou
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Maite Muñoz-Melero
- Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Xin Li
- Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Oleksandr Kondratov
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Therapy, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Ning Li
- Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Ype P. de Jong
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Sergei Zolotukhin
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Therapy, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Moanaro Biswas
- Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
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14
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Westhaus A, Cabanes Creus M, Dilworth KL, Zhu E, Salas D, Navarro RG, Amaya AK, Scott S, Kwiatek M, McCorkindale AL, Hayman TE, Frahm S, Perocheau D, Tran BM, Vincan E, Wong SL, Waters SA, Riddiough GE, Perini MV, Wilson LOW, Baruteau J, Diecke S, Gonzalez-Aseguinolaza G, Santilli G, Thrasher AJ, Alexander IE, Lisowski L. Assessment of pre-clinical liver models based on their ability to predict the liver-tropism of AAV vectors. Hum Gene Ther 2023; 34:273-288. [PMID: 36927149 PMCID: PMC10150726 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2022.188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The liver is a prime target for in vivo gene therapies using recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors (rAAV). Multiple clinical trials have been undertaken for this target in the past 15 years, however we are still to see market approval of the first liver-targeted AAV-based gene therapy. Inefficient expression of the therapeutic transgene, vector-induced liver toxicity and capsid, and/or transgene-mediated immune responses reported at high vector doses are the main challenges to date. One of the contributing factors to the insufficient clinical outcomes, despite highly encouraging preclinical data, is the lack of robust, biologically- and clinically-predictive preclinical models. To this end, this study reports findings of a functional evaluation of six AAV vectors in twelve preclinical models of the human liver, with the aim to uncover which combination of models is the most relevant for the identification of AAV capsid variant for safe and efficient transgene delivery to primary human hepatocytes. The results, generated by studies in models ranging from immortalized cells, iPSC-derived and primary hepatocytes, and primary human hepatic organoids to in vivo models, increased our understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of each system. This should allow the development of novel gene therapies targeting the human liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Westhaus
- Children's Medical Research Institute, 58454, Translational Vectorology, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.,University College London, 4919, Institute of Child Health, London, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland;
| | - Marti Cabanes Creus
- Children's Medical Research Institute, 58454, Translational Vectorology Group, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia;
| | - Kimberley L Dilworth
- Children's Medical Research Institute, 58454, Translational Vectorology, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia;
| | - Erhua Zhu
- Children's Medical Research Institute, 58454, Gene Therapy Research Unit, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia;
| | - David Salas
- Centro de Investigacion Medica Aplicada, 90212, Pamplona, Spain;
| | - Renina Gale Navarro
- Children's Medical Research Institute, 58454, Translational Vectorology Group, 214 Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia, 2145;
| | - Anais Karime Amaya
- Children's Medical Research Institute, 58454, Gene Therapy, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia;
| | - Suzanne Scott
- Children's Medical Research Institute, 58454, Translational Vectorology, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.,Children's Medical Research Institute, 58454, Gene Therapy, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.,Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, 2221, Australian e-Health Research Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia;
| | - Magdalena Kwiatek
- The Biological Threats Identification and Countermeasure Centre, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Pulawy, Poland;
| | | | - Tara E Hayman
- Inventia Life Science Pty Ltd, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia;
| | - Silke Frahm
- Max Delbruck Centre for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, 28341, Stem Cell Technology Platform, Berlin, Berlin, Germany;
| | - Dany Perocheau
- University College London, 4919, Genetics and Genomic Medicine, London, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.,Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, 4956, Metabolic Medicine Department, London, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.,NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, 601433, London, England, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland;
| | - Bang Manh Tran
- The University of Melbourne, 2281, Molecular Oncology Group and Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia;
| | - Elizabeth Vincan
- The University of Melbourne, 2281, Molecular Oncology Group and Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia;
| | - Sharon L Wong
- University of New South Wales, 7800, Molecular and Integrative Cystic Fibrosis Research Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,University of New South Wales, 7800, School of Biomedical Sciences, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia;
| | - Shafagh A Waters
- University of New South Wales, 7800, Molecular and Integrative Cystic Fibrosis Research Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,University of New South Wales, 7800, School of Biomedical Sciences, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney Children's Hospital Randwick, 63623, Respiratory Medicine, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia;
| | - Georgina E Riddiough
- The University of Melbourne, 2281, Department of Infectious Diseases, Melbourne Medical School, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,The University of Melbourne, 2281, Department of Surgery, Austin Health Precinct, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia;
| | - Marcos V Perini
- The University of Melbourne, 2281, Department of Surgery, Austin Health Precinct, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia;
| | - Laurence O W Wilson
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, 2221, Australian e-Health Research Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Macquarie University, 7788, Applied BioSciences, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia;
| | - Julien Baruteau
- University College London, 4919, Genetics and Genomic Medicine Department, London, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.,Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, 4956, Metabolic Medicine Department, London, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.,NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, 601433, London, England, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland;
| | - Sebastian Diecke
- Max Delbruck Centre for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, 28341, Stem Cell Technology Platform, Berlin, Berlin, Germany;
| | - Gloria Gonzalez-Aseguinolaza
- Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA)/Foundation for Applied Medical Research (FIMA) , Gene Therapy and Hepatology, Av. Pio XII, 55, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain, 31008;
| | - Giorgia Santilli
- University College London, 4919, Institute of Child Health, London, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland;
| | - Adrian J Thrasher
- University College London, 4919, Institute of Child Health, London, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland;
| | - Ian Edward Alexander
- Sydney Children's Hospitals Network and Children's Medical Research Institute, Gene Therapy, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.,The University of Sydney, 4334, Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia;
| | - Leszek Lisowski
- Children's Medical Research Institute, 58454, Translational Vectorology, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.,Children's Medical Research Institute, 58454, Vector and Genome Engineering Facility, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.,Military Institute of Medicine, 49586, Molecular Oncology and Innovative Therapies, Warszawa, Mazowieckie, Poland;
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15
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Issa SS, Shaimardanova AA, Solovyeva VV, Rizvanov AA. Various AAV Serotypes and Their Applications in Gene Therapy: An Overview. Cells 2023; 12:cells12050785. [PMID: 36899921 PMCID: PMC10000783 DOI: 10.3390/cells12050785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite scientific discoveries in the field of gene and cell therapy, some diseases still have no effective treatment. Advances in genetic engineering methods have enabled the development of effective gene therapy methods for various diseases based on adeno-associated viruses (AAVs). Today, many AAV-based gene therapy medications are being investigated in preclinical and clinical trials, and new ones are appearing on the market. In this article, we present a review of AAV discovery, properties, different serotypes, and tropism, and a following detailed explanation of their uses in gene therapy for disease of different organs and systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaza S. Issa
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, St. Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alisa A. Shaimardanova
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, 420008 Kazan, Russia
| | - Valeriya V. Solovyeva
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, 420008 Kazan, Russia
| | - Albert A. Rizvanov
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, 420008 Kazan, Russia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +7-(905)-3167599
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16
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Meumann N, Cabanes-Creus M, Ertelt M, Navarro RG, Lucifora J, Yuan Q, Nien-Huber K, Abdelrahman A, Vu XK, Zhang L, Franke AC, Schmithals C, Piiper A, Vogt A, Gonzalez-Carmona M, Frueh JT, Ullrich E, Meuleman P, Talbot SR, Odenthal M, Ott M, Seifried E, Schoeder CT, Schwäble J, Lisowski L, Büning H. Adeno-associated virus serotype 2 capsid variants for improved liver-directed gene therapy. Hepatology 2023; 77:802-815. [PMID: 35976053 PMCID: PMC9936986 DOI: 10.1002/hep.32733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/08/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Current liver-directed gene therapies look for adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors with improved efficacy. With this background, capsid engineering is explored. Whereas shuffled capsid library screenings have resulted in potent liver targeting variants with one first vector in human clinical trials, modifying natural serotypes by peptide insertion has so far been less successful. Here, we now report on two capsid variants, MLIV.K and MLIV.A, both derived from a high-throughput in vivo AAV peptide display selection screen in mice. APPROACH AND RESULTS The variants transduce primary murine and human hepatocytes at comparable efficiencies, a valuable feature in clinical development, and show significantly improved liver transduction efficacy, thereby allowing a dose reduction, and outperform parental AAV2 and AAV8 in targeting human hepatocytes in humanized mice. The natural heparan sulfate proteoglycan binding ability is markedly reduced, a feature that correlates with improved hepatocyte transduction. A further property that might contribute to the improved transduction efficacy is the lower capsid melting temperature. Peptide insertion also caused a moderate change in sensitivity to human sera containing anti-AAV2 neutralizing antibodies, revealing the impact of epitopes located at the basis of the AAV capsid protrusions. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, MLIV.K and MLIV.A are AAV peptide display variants selected in immunocompetent mice with improved hepatocyte tropism and transduction efficiency. Because these features are maintained across species, MLIV variants provide remarkable potential for translation of therapeutic approaches from mice to men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadja Meumann
- Institute of Experimental Hematology , Hannover Medical School , Hannover , Germany.,Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne , University of Cologne , Cologne , Germany
| | - Marti Cabanes-Creus
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit , Children's Medical Research Institute , The University of Sydney , Sydney , New South Wales , Australia
| | - Moritz Ertelt
- Institute for Drug Discovery , University Leipzig Medical School , Leipzig , Germany.,Center for Scalable Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence ScaDS.AI , Dresden/Leipzig , Germany
| | - Renina Gale Navarro
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit , Children's Medical Research Institute , The University of Sydney , Sydney , New South Wales , Australia
| | - Julie Lucifora
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon , Institut National de la Santé et la Recherche Médicale , Lyon , France
| | - Qinggong Yuan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Endocrinology , Hannover Medical School , Hannover , Germany.,Twincore Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research , Hannover , Germany
| | - Karin Nien-Huber
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine and Immunohematology , Goethe University Hospital Medical School , German Red Cross Blood Donor Service , Frankfurt , Germany
| | - Ahmed Abdelrahman
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine and Immunohematology , Goethe University Hospital Medical School , German Red Cross Blood Donor Service , Frankfurt , Germany
| | - Xuan-Khang Vu
- Institute of Experimental Hematology , Hannover Medical School , Hannover , Germany
| | - Liang Zhang
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne , University of Cologne , Cologne , Germany.,Institute of Pathology , University Hospital Cologne , Cologne , Germany
| | - Ann-Christin Franke
- Institute of Experimental Hematology , Hannover Medical School , Hannover , Germany
| | - Christian Schmithals
- Department of Internal Medicine I , University Hospital Frankfurt , Frankfurt , Germany
| | - Albrecht Piiper
- Department of Internal Medicine I , University Hospital Frankfurt , Frankfurt , Germany
| | - Annabelle Vogt
- Department of Internal Medicine I , University Hospital Bonn , Bonn , Germany
| | | | - Jochen T Frueh
- Experimental Immunology , Children's University Hospital , Goethe University Frankfurt , Frankfurt am Main , Germany
| | - Evelyn Ullrich
- Experimental Immunology , Children's University Hospital , Goethe University Frankfurt , Frankfurt am Main , Germany
| | - Philip Meuleman
- Laboratory of Liver Infectious Diseases , Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , Ghent University , Ghent , Belgium
| | - Steven R Talbot
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science , Hannover Medical School , Hannover , Germany
| | - Margarete Odenthal
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne , University of Cologne , Cologne , Germany.,Institute of Pathology , University Hospital Cologne , Cologne , Germany
| | - Michael Ott
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Endocrinology , Hannover Medical School , Hannover , Germany.,Twincore Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research , Hannover , Germany
| | - Erhard Seifried
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine and Immunohematology , Goethe University Hospital Medical School , German Red Cross Blood Donor Service , Frankfurt , Germany
| | - Clara T Schoeder
- Institute for Drug Discovery , University Leipzig Medical School , Leipzig , Germany
| | - Joachim Schwäble
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine and Immunohematology , Goethe University Hospital Medical School , German Red Cross Blood Donor Service , Frankfurt , Germany
| | - Leszek Lisowski
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit , Children's Medical Research Institute , The University of Sydney , Sydney , New South Wales , Australia.,Military Institute of Medicine , Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Innovative Therapies , Warsaw , Poland
| | - Hildegard Büning
- Institute of Experimental Hematology , Hannover Medical School , Hannover , Germany.,Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne , University of Cologne , Cologne , Germany
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17
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Graves LE, Torpy DJ, Coates PT, Alexander IE, Bornstein SR, Clarke B. Future directions for adrenal insufficiency: cellular transplantation and genetic therapies. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2023; 108:1273-1289. [PMID: 36611246 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgac751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Primary adrenal insufficiency occurs in 1 in 5-7000 adults. Leading aetiologies are autoimmune adrenalitis in adults and congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) in children. Oral replacement of cortisol is lifesaving, but poor quality of life, repeated adrenal crises and dosing uncertainty related to lack of a validated biomarker for glucocorticoid sufficiency, persists. Adrenocortical cell therapy and gene therapy may obviate many of the shortcomings of adrenal hormone replacement. Physiological cortisol secretion regulated by pituitary adrenocorticotropin, could be achieved through allogeneic adrenocortical cell transplantation, production of adrenal-like steroidogenic cells from either stem cells or lineage conversion of differentiated cells, or for CAH, gene therapy to replace or repair a defective gene. The adrenal cortex is a high turnover organ and thus failure to incorporate progenitor cells within a transplant will ultimately result in graft exhaustion. Identification of adrenocortical progenitor cells is equally important in gene therapy where new genetic material must be specifically integrated into the genome of progenitors to ensure a durable effect. Delivery of gene editing machinery and a donor template, allowing targeted correction of the 21-hydroxylase gene, has the potential to achieve this. This review describes advances in adrenal cell transplants and gene therapy that may allow physiological cortisol production for children and adults with primary adrenal insufficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara E Graves
- Institute of Endocrinology and Diabetes, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Westmead, NSW, Australia
- Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | - David J Torpy
- Endocrine and Metabolic Unit, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - P Toby Coates
- Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Central Northern Adelaide Renal and Transplantation Service, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Ian E Alexander
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Westmead, NSW, Australia
- Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | - Stefan R Bornstein
- University Clinic Carl Gustav Carus, Fetscherstrasse 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Brigette Clarke
- Endocrine and Metabolic Unit, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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18
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Cabanes-Creus M, Navarro RG, Liao SH, Scott S, Carlessi R, Roca-Pinilla R, Knight M, Baltazar G, Zhu E, Jones M, Denisenko E, Forrest AR, Alexander IE, Tirnitz-Parker JE, Lisowski L. Characterization of the humanized FRG mouse model and development of an AAV-LK03 variant with improved liver lobular biodistribution. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2023; 28:220-237. [PMID: 36700121 PMCID: PMC9860073 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2022.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Recent clinical successes have intensified interest in using adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors for therapeutic gene delivery. The liver is a key clinical target, given its critical physiological functions and involvement in a wide range of genetic diseases. In the present study, we first investigated the validity of a liver xenograft mouse model repopulated with primary hepatocytes using single-nucleus RNA sequencing (sn-RNA-seq) by studying the transcriptomic profile of human hepatocytes pre- and post-engraftment. Complementary immunofluorescence analyses performed in highly engrafted animals confirmed that the human hepatocytes organize and present appropriate patterns of zone-dependent enzyme expression in this model. Next, we tested a set of rationally designed HSPG de-targeted AAV-LK03 variants for relative transduction performance in human hepatocytes. We used immunofluorescence, next-generation sequencing, and single-nucleus transcriptomics data from highly engrafted FRG mice to demonstrate that the optimally HSPG de-targeted AAV-LK03 displayed a significantly improved lobular transduction profile in this model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marti Cabanes-Creus
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Renina Gale Navarro
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Sophia H.Y. Liao
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Suzanne Scott
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Rodrigo Carlessi
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia,Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Ramon Roca-Pinilla
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Maddison Knight
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Grober Baltazar
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Erhua Zhu
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, and Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Matthew Jones
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Elena Denisenko
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Alistair R.R. Forrest
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Ian E. Alexander
- Gene Therapy Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, and Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia,Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Janina E.E. Tirnitz-Parker
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia,UWA Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Leszek Lisowski
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia,Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Innovative Therapies, Military Institute of Medicine, 04-141 Warsaw, Poland,Corresponding author: Dr. Leszek Lisowski, Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia.
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19
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Becker J, Fakhiri J, Grimm D. Fantastic AAV Gene Therapy Vectors and How to Find Them—Random Diversification, Rational Design and Machine Learning. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11070756. [PMID: 35890005 PMCID: PMC9318892 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11070756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Parvoviruses are a diverse family of small, non-enveloped DNA viruses that infect a wide variety of species, tissues and cell types. For over half a century, their intriguing biology and pathophysiology has fueled intensive research aimed at dissecting the underlying viral and cellular mechanisms. Concurrently, their broad host specificity (tropism) has motivated efforts to develop parvoviruses as gene delivery vectors for human cancer or gene therapy applications. While the sum of preclinical and clinical data consistently demonstrates the great potential of these vectors, these findings also illustrate the importance of enhancing and restricting in vivo transgene expression in desired cell types. To this end, major progress has been made especially with vectors based on Adeno-associated virus (AAV), whose capsid is highly amenable to bioengineering, repurposing and expansion of its natural tropism. Here, we provide an overview of the state-of-the-art approaches to create new AAV variants with higher specificity and efficiency of gene transfer in on-target cells. We first review traditional and novel directed evolution approaches, including high-throughput screening of AAV capsid libraries. Next, we discuss programmable receptor-mediated targeting with a focus on two recent technologies that utilize high-affinity binders. Finally, we highlight one of the latest stratagems for rational AAV vector characterization and optimization, namely, machine learning, which promises to facilitate and accelerate the identification of next-generation, safe and precise gene delivery vehicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Becker
- Department of Infectious Diseases/Virology, Medical Faculty, University of Heidelberg, Center for Integrative Infectious Diseases Research (CIID), BioQuant, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
- Faculty of Biosciences, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Julia Fakhiri
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Innovation Center Munich, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Nonnenwald 2, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
- Correspondence: (J.F.); (D.G.); Tel.: +49-174-3486203 (J.F.); +49-6221-5451331 (D.G.)
| | - Dirk Grimm
- Department of Infectious Diseases/Virology, Medical Faculty, University of Heidelberg, Center for Integrative Infectious Diseases Research (CIID), BioQuant, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Correspondence: (J.F.); (D.G.); Tel.: +49-174-3486203 (J.F.); +49-6221-5451331 (D.G.)
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