1
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Vu Hong A, Suel L, Petat E, Dubois A, Le Brun PR, Guerchet N, Veron P, Poupiot J, Richard I. An engineered AAV targeting integrin alpha V beta 6 presents improved myotropism across species. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7965. [PMID: 39261465 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-52002-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2024] [Indexed: 09/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Current adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy using nature-derived AAVs is limited by non-optimal tissue targeting. In the treatment of muscular diseases (MD), high doses are often required but can lead to severe adverse effects. Here, we rationally design an AAV capsid that specifically targets skeletal muscle to lower treatment doses. We computationally integrate binding motifs of human integrin alphaV beta6, a skeletal muscle receptor, into a liver-detargeting capsid. Designed AAVs show higher productivity and superior muscle transduction compared to their parent. One variant, LICA1, demonstrates comparable muscle transduction to other myotropic AAVs with reduced liver targeting. LICA1's myotropic properties are observed across species, including non-human primate. Consequently, LICA1, but not AAV9, effectively delivers therapeutic transgenes and improved muscle functionality in two mouse MD models (male mice) at a low dose (5E12 vg/kg). These results underline the potential of our design method for AAV engineering and LICA1 variant for MD gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ai Vu Hong
- Genethon, 1 bis rue de l'internationale, Evry, France.
- INTEGRARE research unit UMR_S951 (INSERM, Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry), Evry, France.
| | - Laurence Suel
- Genethon, 1 bis rue de l'internationale, Evry, France
- INTEGRARE research unit UMR_S951 (INSERM, Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry), Evry, France
| | - Eva Petat
- Genethon, 1 bis rue de l'internationale, Evry, France
- INTEGRARE research unit UMR_S951 (INSERM, Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry), Evry, France
| | - Auriane Dubois
- Genethon, 1 bis rue de l'internationale, Evry, France
- INTEGRARE research unit UMR_S951 (INSERM, Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry), Evry, France
| | - Pierre-Romain Le Brun
- Genethon, 1 bis rue de l'internationale, Evry, France
- INTEGRARE research unit UMR_S951 (INSERM, Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry), Evry, France
| | - Nicolas Guerchet
- Genethon, 1 bis rue de l'internationale, Evry, France
- INTEGRARE research unit UMR_S951 (INSERM, Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry), Evry, France
| | - Philippe Veron
- Genethon, 1 bis rue de l'internationale, Evry, France
- INTEGRARE research unit UMR_S951 (INSERM, Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry), Evry, France
| | - Jérôme Poupiot
- Genethon, 1 bis rue de l'internationale, Evry, France
- INTEGRARE research unit UMR_S951 (INSERM, Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry), Evry, France
| | - Isabelle Richard
- Genethon, 1 bis rue de l'internationale, Evry, France.
- INTEGRARE research unit UMR_S951 (INSERM, Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry), Evry, France.
- Atamyo Therapeutics, 1 bis rue de l'internationale, Evry, France.
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2
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Pedro De-la-Torre, Wen H, Brower J, Martínez-Pérez K, Narui Y, Yeh F, Hale E, Ivanchenko MV, Corey DP, Sotomayor M, Indzhykulian AA. Elasticity and Thermal Stability are Key Determinants of Hearing Rescue by Mini-Protocadherin-15 Proteins. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.16.599132. [PMID: 38948700 PMCID: PMC11212938 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.16.599132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Protocadherin-15 is a core protein component of inner-ear hair-cell tip links pulling on transduction channels essential for hearing and balance. Protocadherin-15 defects can result in non-syndromic deafness or Usher syndrome type 1F (USH1F) with hearing loss, balance deficits, and progressive blindness. Three rationally engineered shortened versions of protocadherin-15 (mini-PCDH15s) amenable for gene therapy have been used to rescue function in USH1F mouse models. Two can successfully or partially rescue hearing, while another one fails. Here we show that despite varying levels of hearing rescue, all three mini-PCDH15 versions can rescue hair-cell mechanotransduction. Negative-stain electron microscopy shows that all three versions form dimers like the wild-type protein, while crystal structures of some engineered fragments show that these can properly fold and bind calcium ions essential for function. In contrast, simulations predict distinct elasticities and nano differential scanning fluorimetry shows differences in melting temperature measurements. Our data suggest that elasticity and thermal stability are key determinants of sustained hearing rescue by mini-PCDH15s.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro De-la-Torre
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Eye and Ear, 243 Charles St, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Haosheng Wen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, 484 W. 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH, USA
- Biophysics Program, The Ohio State University, 484 W. 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Joseph Brower
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Eye and Ear, 243 Charles St, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Karina Martínez-Pérez
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Eye and Ear, 243 Charles St, Boston, MA, USA
- Biology Program, Department of Basic Sciences, Universidad del Atlántico, Cra 30 # 8-49, Puerto Colombia, 081007, Colombia
| | - Yoshie Narui
- Center for Electron Microscopy and Analysis, The Ohio State University, 1275-1305 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Frank Yeh
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Eye and Ear, 243 Charles St, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Evan Hale
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Eye and Ear, 243 Charles St, Boston, MA, USA
- Speech and Hearing Biosciences and Technology graduate program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Maryna V. Ivanchenko
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 200 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David P. Corey
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 200 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marcos Sotomayor
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, 484 W. 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH, USA
- Biophysics Program, The Ohio State University, 484 W. 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Artur A. Indzhykulian
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Eye and Ear, 243 Charles St, Boston, MA, USA
- Speech and Hearing Biosciences and Technology graduate program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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3
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Rhymes ER, Simkin RL, Qu J, Villarroel-Campos D, Surana S, Tong Y, Shapiro R, Burgess RW, Yang XL, Schiavo G, Sleigh JN. Boosting BDNF in muscle rescues impaired axonal transport in a mouse model of DI-CMTC peripheral neuropathy. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 195:106501. [PMID: 38583640 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106501] [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: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is a genetic peripheral neuropathy caused by mutations in many functionally diverse genes. The aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (ARS) enzymes, which transfer amino acids to partner tRNAs for protein synthesis, represent the largest protein family genetically linked to CMT aetiology, suggesting pathomechanistic commonalities. Dominant intermediate CMT type C (DI-CMTC) is caused by YARS1 mutations driving a toxic gain-of-function in the encoded tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (TyrRS), which is mediated by exposure of consensus neomorphic surfaces through conformational changes of the mutant protein. In this study, we first showed that human DI-CMTC-causing TyrRSE196K mis-interacts with the extracellular domain of the BDNF receptor TrkB, an aberrant association we have previously characterised for several mutant glycyl-tRNA synthetases linked to CMT type 2D (CMT2D). We then performed temporal neuromuscular assessments of YarsE196K mice modelling DI-CMT. We determined that YarsE196K homozygotes display a selective, age-dependent impairment in in vivo axonal transport of neurotrophin-containing signalling endosomes, phenocopying CMT2D mice. This impairment is replicated by injection of recombinant TyrRSE196K, but not TyrRSWT, into muscles of wild-type mice. Augmenting BDNF in DI-CMTC muscles, through injection of recombinant protein or muscle-specific gene therapy, resulted in complete axonal transport correction. Therefore, this work identifies a non-cell autonomous pathomechanism common to ARS-related neuropathies, and highlights the potential of boosting BDNF levels in muscles as a therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena R Rhymes
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases and UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Rebecca L Simkin
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases and UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Ji Qu
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases and UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - David Villarroel-Campos
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases and UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Sunaina Surana
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases and UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Yao Tong
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Ryan Shapiro
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | | | - Xiang-Lei Yang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Giampietro Schiavo
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases and UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - James N Sleigh
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases and UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK.
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4
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Wang F, Huang Y, Li J, Zhou W, Wang W. Targeted gene delivery systems for T-cell engineering. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2024:10.1007/s13402-024-00954-6. [PMID: 38753155 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-024-00954-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
T lymphocytes are indispensable for the host systems of defense against pathogens, tumors, and environmental threats. The therapeutic potential of harnessing the cytotoxic properties of T lymphocytes for antigen-specific cell elimination is both evident and efficacious. Genetically engineered T-cells, such as those employed in CAR-T and TCR-T cell therapies, have demonstrated significant clinical benefits in treating cancer and autoimmune disorders. However, the current landscape of T-cell genetic engineering is dominated by strategies that necessitate in vitro T-cell isolation and modification, which introduce complexity and prolong the development timeline of T-cell based immunotherapies. This review explores the complexities of gene delivery systems designed for T cells, covering both viral and nonviral vectors. Viral vectors are known for their high transduction efficiency, yet they face significant limitations, such as potential immunogenicity and the complexities involved in large-scale production. Nonviral vectors, conversely, offer a safer profile and the potential for scalable manufacturing, yet they often struggle with lower transduction efficiency. The pursuit of gene delivery systems that can achieve targeted gene transfer to T cell without the need for isolation represents a significant advancement in the field. This review assesses the design principles and current research progress of such systems, highlighting the potential for in vivo gene modification therapies that could revolutionize T-cell based treatments. By providing a comprehensive analysis of these systems, we aim to contribute valuable insights into the future development of T-cell immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengling Wang
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Yong Huang
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - JiaQian Li
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Weilin Zhou
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, People's Republic of China.
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5
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Cefis M, Dargegen M, Marcangeli V, Taherkhani S, Dulac M, Leduc-Gaudet JP, Mayaki D, Hussain SNA, Gouspillou G. MFN2 overexpression in skeletal muscles of young and old mice causes a mild hypertrophy without altering mitochondrial respiration and H 2O 2 emission. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2024; 240:e14119. [PMID: 38400630 DOI: 10.1111/apha.14119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
AIM Sarcopenia, the aging-related loss of muscle mass and function, is a debilitating process negatively impacting the quality of life of affected individuals. Although the mechanisms underlying sarcopenia are incompletely understood, impairments in mitochondrial dynamics, including mitochondrial fusion, have been proposed as a contributing factor. However, the potential of upregulating mitochondrial fusion proteins to alleviate the effects of aging on skeletal muscles remains unexplored. We therefore hypothesized that overexpressing Mitofusin 2 (MFN2) in skeletal muscle in vivo would mitigate the effects of aging on muscle mass and improve mitochondrial function. METHODS MFN2 was overexpressed in young (7 mo) and old (24 mo) male mice for 4 months through intramuscular injections of an adeno-associated viruses. The impacts of MFN2 overexpression on muscle mass and fiber size (histology), mitochondrial respiration, and H2O2 emission (Oroboros fluororespirometry), and various signaling pathways (qPCR and western blotting) were investigated. RESULTS MFN2 overexpression increased muscle mass and fiber size in both young and old mice. No sign of fibrosis, necrosis, or inflammation was found upon MFN2 overexpression, indicating that the hypertrophy triggered by MFN2 overexpression was not pathological. MFN2 overexpression even reduced the proportion of fibers with central nuclei in old muscles. Importantly, MFN2 overexpression had no impact on muscle mitochondrial respiration and H2O2 emission in both young and old mice. MFN2 overexpression attenuated the increase in markers of impaired autophagy in old muscles. CONCLUSION MFN2 overexpression may be a viable approach to mitigate aging-related muscle atrophy and may have applications for other muscle disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Cefis
- Département des sciences de l'activité physique, Faculté des Sciences, UQÀM, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Manon Dargegen
- Département des sciences de l'activité physique, Faculté des Sciences, UQÀM, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Vincent Marcangeli
- Département des sciences de l'activité physique, Faculté des Sciences, UQÀM, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Département des sciences biologiques, Faculté des Sciences, UQÀM, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Shima Taherkhani
- Département des sciences de l'activité physique, Faculté des Sciences, UQÀM, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Département des sciences biologiques, Faculté des Sciences, UQÀM, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Maude Dulac
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Jean-Philippe Leduc-Gaudet
- Research Group in Cellular Signaling, Department of Medical Biology, Université du Québec À Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Québec, Canada
| | - Dominique Mayaki
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories and Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases Program, Department of Critical Care, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Sabah N A Hussain
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories and Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases Program, Department of Critical Care, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Gilles Gouspillou
- Département des sciences de l'activité physique, Faculté des Sciences, UQÀM, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories and Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases Program, Department of Critical Care, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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6
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Rhymes ER, Simkin RL, Qu J, Villarroel-Campos D, Surana S, Tong Y, Shapiro R, Burgess RW, Yang XL, Schiavo G, Sleigh JN. Boosting BDNF in muscle rescues impaired axonal transport in a mouse model of DI-CMTC peripheral neuropathy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.04.09.536152. [PMID: 38559020 PMCID: PMC10979848 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.09.536152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is a genetic peripheral neuropathy caused by mutations in many functionally diverse genes. The aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (ARS) enzymes, which transfer amino acids to partner tRNAs for protein synthesis, represent the largest protein family genetically linked to CMT aetiology, suggesting pathomechanistic commonalities. Dominant intermediate CMT type C (DI-CMTC) is caused by YARS1 mutations driving a toxic gain-of-function in the encoded tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (TyrRS), which is mediated by exposure of consensus neomorphic surfaces through conformational changes of the mutant protein. In this study, we first showed that human DI-CMTC-causing TyrRSE196K mis-interacts with the extracellular domain of the BDNF receptor TrkB, an aberrant association we have previously characterised for several mutant glycyl-tRNA synthetases linked to CMT type 2D (CMT2D). We then performed temporal neuromuscular assessments of YarsE196K mice modelling DI-CMT. We determined that YarsE196K homozygotes display a selective, age-dependent impairment in in vivo axonal transport of neurotrophin-containing signalling endosomes, phenocopying CMT2D mice. This impairment is replicated by injection of recombinant TyrRSE196K, but not TyrRSWT, into muscles of wild-type mice. Augmenting BDNF in DI-CMTC muscles, through injection of recombinant protein or muscle-specific gene therapy, resulted in complete axonal transport correction. Therefore, this work identifies a non-cell autonomous pathomechanism common to ARS-related neuropathies, and highlights the potential of boosting BDNF levels in muscles as a therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena R. Rhymes
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases and UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Rebecca L. Simkin
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases and UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Ji Qu
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases and UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - David Villarroel-Campos
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases and UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Sunaina Surana
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases and UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Yao Tong
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Ryan Shapiro
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | | | - Xiang-Lei Yang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Giampietro Schiavo
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases and UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - James N. Sleigh
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases and UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
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7
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Gardin A, Rouillon J, Montalvo-Romeral V, Rossiaud L, Vidal P, Launay R, Vie M, Krimi Benchekroun Y, Cosette J, Bertin B, La Bella T, Dubreuil G, Nozi J, Jauze L, Fragnoud R, Daniele N, Van Wittenberghe L, Esque J, André I, Nissan X, Hoch L, Ronzitti G. A functional mini-GDE transgene corrects impairment in models of glycogen storage disease type III. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e172018. [PMID: 38015640 PMCID: PMC10786702 DOI: 10.1172/jci172018] [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: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Glycogen storage disease type III (GSDIII) is a rare inborn error of metabolism affecting liver, skeletal muscle, and heart due to mutations of the AGL gene encoding for the glycogen debranching enzyme (GDE). No curative treatment exists for GSDIII. The 4.6 kb GDE cDNA represents the major technical challenge toward the development of a single recombinant adeno-associated virus-derived (rAAV-derived) vector gene therapy strategy. Using information on GDE structure and molecular modeling, we generated multiple truncated GDEs. Among them, an N-terminal-truncated mutant, ΔNter2-GDE, had a similar efficacy in vivo compared with the full-size enzyme. A rAAV vector expressing ΔNter2-GDE allowed significant glycogen reduction in heart and muscle of Agl-/- mice 3 months after i.v. injection, as well as normalization of histology features and restoration of muscle strength. Similarly, glycogen accumulation and histological features were corrected in a recently generated Agl-/- rat model. Finally, transduction with rAAV vectors encoding ΔNter2-GDE corrected glycogen accumulation in an in vitro human skeletal muscle cellular model of GSDIII. In conclusion, our results demonstrated the ability of a single rAAV vector expressing a functional mini-GDE transgene to correct the muscle and heart phenotype in multiple models of GSDIII, supporting its clinical translation to patients with GSDIII.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Gardin
- Genethon, Evry, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, Inserm, Genethon, Integrare research unit UMR_S951, Evry, France
| | - Jérémy Rouillon
- Genethon, Evry, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, Inserm, Genethon, Integrare research unit UMR_S951, Evry, France
| | - Valle Montalvo-Romeral
- Genethon, Evry, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, Inserm, Genethon, Integrare research unit UMR_S951, Evry, France
| | - Lucille Rossiaud
- Genethon, Evry, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, Inserm, Genethon, Integrare research unit UMR_S951, Evry, France
- CECS, I-STEM, Institute for Stem Cell Therapy and Exploration of Monogenic Diseases, Corbeil-Essonnes, France
| | - Patrice Vidal
- Genethon, Evry, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, Inserm, Genethon, Integrare research unit UMR_S951, Evry, France
| | - Romain Launay
- Toulouse Biotechnology Institute, TBI, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRAE, INSA, Toulouse, France
| | - Mallaury Vie
- Genethon, Evry, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, Inserm, Genethon, Integrare research unit UMR_S951, Evry, France
| | - Youssef Krimi Benchekroun
- Genethon, Evry, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, Inserm, Genethon, Integrare research unit UMR_S951, Evry, France
| | | | - Bérangère Bertin
- Genethon, Evry, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, Inserm, Genethon, Integrare research unit UMR_S951, Evry, France
| | - Tiziana La Bella
- Genethon, Evry, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, Inserm, Genethon, Integrare research unit UMR_S951, Evry, France
| | | | - Justine Nozi
- Genethon, Evry, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, Inserm, Genethon, Integrare research unit UMR_S951, Evry, France
| | - Louisa Jauze
- Genethon, Evry, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, Inserm, Genethon, Integrare research unit UMR_S951, Evry, France
| | | | | | | | - Jérémy Esque
- Toulouse Biotechnology Institute, TBI, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRAE, INSA, Toulouse, France
| | - Isabelle André
- Toulouse Biotechnology Institute, TBI, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRAE, INSA, Toulouse, France
| | - Xavier Nissan
- CECS, I-STEM, Institute for Stem Cell Therapy and Exploration of Monogenic Diseases, Corbeil-Essonnes, France
| | - Lucile Hoch
- CECS, I-STEM, Institute for Stem Cell Therapy and Exploration of Monogenic Diseases, Corbeil-Essonnes, France
| | - Giuseppe Ronzitti
- Genethon, Evry, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, Inserm, Genethon, Integrare research unit UMR_S951, Evry, France
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8
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Lu M, Lee Z, Lin YC, Irfanullah I, Cai W, Hu WS. Enhancing the production of recombinant adeno-associated virus in synthetic cell lines through systematic characterization. Biotechnol Bioeng 2024; 121:341-354. [PMID: 37749931 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28562] [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: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) is among the most commonly used in vivo gene delivery vehicles and has seen a number of successes in clinical application. Current manufacturing processes of rAAV employ multiple plasmid transfection or rely on virus infection and face challenges in scale-up. A synthetic biology approach was taken to generate stable cell lines with integrated genetic modules, which produced rAAV upon induction albeit at a low productivity. To identify potential factors that restrained the productivity, we systematically characterized virus production kinetics through targeted quantitative proteomics and various physical assays of viral components. We demonstrated that reducing the excessive expression of gene of interest by its conditional expression greatly increased the productivity of these synthetic cell lines. Further enhancement was gained by optimizing induction profiles and alleviating proteasomal degradation of viral capsid protein by the addition of proteasome inhibitors. Altogether, these enhancements brought the productivity close to traditional multiple plasmid transfection. The rAAV produced had comparable full particle contents as those produced by conventional transient plasmid transfection. The present work exemplified the versatility of our synthetic biology-based viral vector production platform and its potential for plasmid- and virus-free rAAV manufacturing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Lu
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Zion Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Yu-Chieh Lin
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Ibrahim Irfanullah
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Wen Cai
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Wei-Shou Hu
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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9
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Knapman FL, Cohen EM, Kulaga T, Lovell N, Lisowski L, McMullan S, Burke PGR, Bilston LE. Direct optogenetic activation of upper airway muscles in an acute model of upper airway hypotonia mimicking sleep onset. Sleep 2023; 46:zsad226. [PMID: 37651221 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsad226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), where the upper airway collapses repeatedly during sleep due to inadequate dilator muscle tone, is challenging to treat as current therapies are poorly tolerated or have variable and unpredictable efficacy. We propose a novel, optogenetics-based therapy, that stimulates upper airway dilator muscle contractions in response to light. To determine the feasibility of a novel optogenetics-based OSA therapy, we developed a rodent model of human sleep-related upper airway muscle atonia. Using this model, we evaluated intralingual delivery of candidate optogenetic constructs, notably a muscle-targeted approach that will likely have a favorable safety profile. METHODS rAAV serotype 9 viral vectors expressing a channelrhodopsin-2 variant, driven by a muscle-specific or nonspecific promoter were injected into rat tongues to compare strength and specificity of opsin expression. Light-evoked electromyographic responses were recorded in an acute, rodent model of OSA. Airway dilation was captured with ultrasound. RESULTS The muscle-specific promoter produced sufficient opsin expression for light stimulation to restore and/or enhance electromyographic signals (linear mixed model, F = 140.0, p < 0.001) and induce visible tongue contraction and airway dilation. The muscle-specific promoter induced stronger (RM-ANOVA, F(1,8) = 10.0, p = 0.013) and more specific opsin expression than the nonspecific promoter in an otherwise equivalent construct. Viral DNA and RNA were robust in the tongue, but low or absent in all other tissues. CONCLUSIONS Significant functional responses to direct optogenetic muscle activation were achieved following muscle-specific promoter-driven rAAV-mediated transduction, providing proof-of-concept for an optogenetic therapy for patients with inadequate dilator muscle activity during sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona L Knapman
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Tom Kulaga
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Nigel Lovell
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Leszek Lisowski
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Innovative Therapies, Military Institute of Medicine, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Simon McMullan
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Peter G R Burke
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Lynne E Bilston
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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10
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Guo M, Zhang J, Ma Y, Zhu Z, Zuo H, Yao J, Wu X, Wang D, Yu J, Meng M, Liu C, Zhang Y, Chen J, Lu J, Ding S, Hu C, Ma X, Xu L. AAV-Mediated nuclear localized PGC1α4 delivery in muscle ameliorates sarcopenia and aging-associated metabolic dysfunctions. Aging Cell 2023; 22:e13961. [PMID: 37584432 PMCID: PMC10577532 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13961] [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: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Sarcopenia is characterized of muscle mass loss and functional decline in elder individuals which severely affects human physical activity, metabolic homeostasis, and life quality. Physical exercise is considered effective in combating muscle atrophy and sarcopenia, yet it is not feasible to elders with limited mobility. PGC-1α4, a short isoform of PGC-1α, is strongly induced in muscle under resistance training, and promotes muscle hypertrophy. In the present study, we showed that the transcriptional levels and nuclear localization of PGC1α4 was reduced during aging, accompanied with muscle dystrophic morphology, and gene programs. We thus designed NLS-PGC1α4 and ectopically express it in myotubes to enhance PGC1α4 levels and maintain its location in nucleus. Indeed, NLS-PGC1α4 overexpression increased muscle sizes in myotubes. In addition, by utilizing AAV-NLS-PGC1α4 delivery into gastrocnemius muscle, we found that it could improve sarcopenia with grip strength, muscle weights, fiber size and molecular phenotypes, and alleviate age-associated adiposity, insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis, accompanied with altered gene signatures. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that NLS-PGC-1α4 improved insulin signaling and enhanced glucose uptake in skeletal muscle. Besides, via RNA-seq analysis, we identified myokines IGF1 and METRNL as potential targets of NLS-PGC-1α4 that possibly mediate the improvement of muscle and adipose tissue functionality and systemic energy metabolism in aged mice. Moreover, we found a negative correlation between PGC1α4 and age in human skeletal muscle. Together, our results revealed that NLS-PGC1α4 overexpression improves muscle physiology and systematic energy homeostasis during aging and suggested it as a potent therapeutic strategy against sarcopenia and aging-associated metabolic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingwei Guo
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory BiologyInstitute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Jun Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory BiologyInstitute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Ying Ma
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory BiologyInstitute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Zhenzhong Zhu
- Department of OrthopedicsSixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Hui Zuo
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory BiologyInstitute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Jing Yao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory BiologyInstitute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Xia Wu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory BiologyInstitute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Dongmei Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory BiologyInstitute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Jian Yu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory BiologyInstitute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
- Department of Endocrinology and MetabolismFengxian Central Hospital Affiliated to Southern Medical UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Meiyao Meng
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory BiologyInstitute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Caizhi Liu
- Department of Endocrinology and MetabolismFengxian Central Hospital Affiliated to Southern Medical UniversityShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes MellitusShanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's HospitalShanghaiChina
| | - Yi Zhang
- Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes MellitusShanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's HospitalShanghaiChina
| | - Jiangrong Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory BiologyInstitute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Jian Lu
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of Ministry of Education, College of Physical Education and HealthEast China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Shuzhe Ding
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of Ministry of Education, College of Physical Education and HealthEast China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Cheng Hu
- Department of Endocrinology and MetabolismFengxian Central Hospital Affiliated to Southern Medical UniversityShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes MellitusShanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's HospitalShanghaiChina
| | - Xinran Ma
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory BiologyInstitute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
- Department of Endocrinology and MetabolismFengxian Central Hospital Affiliated to Southern Medical UniversityShanghaiChina
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology and School of Life SciencesEast China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Precision OpticsChongqing Institute of East China Normal UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Lingyan Xu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory BiologyInstitute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
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11
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Datta N, Johnson C, Kao D, Gurnani P, Alexander C, Polytarchou C, Monaghan TM. MicroRNA-based therapeutics for inflammatory disorders of the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Pharmacol Res 2023; 194:106870. [PMID: 37499702 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
An emerging but less explored shared pathophysiology across microbiota-gut-brain axis disorders is aberrant miRNA expression, which may represent novel therapeutic targets. miRNAs are small, endogenous non-coding RNAs that are important transcriptional repressors of gene expression. Most importantly, they regulate the integrity of the intestinal epithelial and blood-brain barriers and serve as an important communication channel between the gut microbiome and the host. A well-defined understanding of the mode of action, therapeutic strategies and delivery mechanisms of miRNAs is pivotal in translating the clinical applications of miRNA-based therapeutics. Accumulating evidence links disorders of the microbiota-gut-brain axis with a compromised gut-blood-brain-barrier, causing gut contents such as immune cells and microbiota to enter the bloodstream leading to low-grade systemic inflammation. This has the potential to affect all organs, including the brain, causing central inflammation and the development of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases. In this review, we have examined in detail miRNA biogenesis, strategies for therapeutic application, delivery mechanisms, as well as their pathophysiology and clinical applications in inflammatory gut-brain disorders. The research data in this review was drawn from the following databases: PubMed, Google Scholar, and Clinicaltrials.gov. With increasing evidence of the pathophysiological importance for miRNAs in microbiota-gut-brain axis disorders, therapeutic targeting of cross-regulated miRNAs in these disorders displays potentially transformative and translational potential. Further preclinical research and human clinical trials are required to further advance this area of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Datta
- School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Charlotte Johnson
- NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Dina Kao
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Pratik Gurnani
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics & Formulation, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Cameron Alexander
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics & Formulation, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Christos Polytarchou
- Department of Biosciences, John van Geest Cancer Research Centre, School of Science & Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK.
| | - Tanya M Monaghan
- NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
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12
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Tosolini AP, Smith GM. Editorial: Gene therapy for the central and peripheral nervous system, volume II. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1258458. [PMID: 37593465 PMCID: PMC10431961 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1258458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew P. Tosolini
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - George M. Smith
- Shriners Hospitals Pediatric Research Center, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Neural Sciences, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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13
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Dietz J, Jacobsen F, Zhuge H, Daya N, Bigot A, Zhang W, Ehrhardt A, Vorgerd M, Ehrke-Schulz E. Muscle Specific Promotors for Gene Therapy - A Comparative Study in Proliferating and Differentiated Cells. J Neuromuscul Dis 2023:JND221574. [PMID: 37270809 DOI: 10.3233/jnd-221574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depending on the therapy approach and disease background, the heterogeneity of muscular tissues complicates the development of targeted gene therapy, where either expression in all muscle types or restriction to only one muscle type is warranted. Muscle specificity can be achieved using promotors mediating tissue specific and sustained physiological expression in the desired muscle types but limited activity in non-targeted tissue. Several muscle specific promotors have been described, but direct comparisons between them are lacking. OBJECTIVE Here we present a direct comparison of muscle specific Desmin-, MHCK7, microRNA206- and Calpain3 promotor. METHODS To directly compare these muscle specific promotors we utilized transfection of reporter plasmids using an in vitro model based on electrical pulse stimulation (EPS) to provoke sarcomere formation in 2D cell culture for quantification of promotor activities in far differentiated mouse and human myotubes. RESULTS We found that Desmin- and MHCK7 promotors showed stronger reporter gene expression levels in proliferating and differentiated myogenic cell lines than miR206 and CAPN3 promotor. However, Desmin and MHCK7 promotor promoted gene expression also cardiac cells whereas miR206 and CAPN3 promotor expression was restricted to skeletal muscle. CONCLUSIONS Our results provides direct comparison of muscle specific promotors with regard to expression strengths and specificity as this is important feature to avoid undesired transgene expression in non-target muscle cells for a desired therapy approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julienne Dietz
- Department of Human Medicine, Institute of Virology and Microbiology, Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Heimer Institute for Muscle Research, Bochum, Germany
| | - Frank Jacobsen
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Heimer Institute for Muscle Research, Bochum, Germany
| | - Heidi Zhuge
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Heimer Institute for Muscle Research, Bochum, Germany
| | - Nassam Daya
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Heimer Institute for Muscle Research, Bochum, Germany
| | - Anne Bigot
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Wenli Zhang
- Department of Human Medicine, Institute of Virology and Microbiology, Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
| | - Anja Ehrhardt
- Department of Human Medicine, Institute of Virology and Microbiology, Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
| | - Matthias Vorgerd
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bergmannsheil, Heimer Institute for Muscle Research, Bochum, Germany
| | - Eric Ehrke-Schulz
- Department of Human Medicine, Institute of Virology and Microbiology, Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
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14
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Sleigh JN, Villarroel-Campos D, Surana S, Wickenden T, Tong Y, Simkin RL, Vargas JNS, Rhymes ER, Tosolini AP, West SJ, Zhang Q, Yang XL, Schiavo G. Boosting peripheral BDNF rescues impaired in vivo axonal transport in CMT2D mice. JCI Insight 2023; 8:e157191. [PMID: 36928301 PMCID: PMC10243821 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.157191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Gain-of-function mutations in the housekeeping gene GARS1, which lead to the expression of toxic versions of glycyl-tRNA synthetase (GlyRS), cause the selective motor and sensory pathology characterizing Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT). Aberrant interactions between GlyRS mutants and different proteins, including neurotrophin receptor tropomyosin receptor kinase receptor B (TrkB), underlie CMT type 2D (CMT2D); however, our pathomechanistic understanding of this untreatable peripheral neuropathy remains incomplete. Through intravital imaging of the sciatic nerve, we show that CMT2D mice displayed early and persistent disturbances in axonal transport of neurotrophin-containing signaling endosomes in vivo. We discovered that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)/TrkB impairments correlated with transport disruption and overall CMT2D neuropathology and that inhibition of this pathway at the nerve-muscle interface perturbed endosome transport in wild-type axons. Accordingly, supplementation of muscles with BDNF, but not other neurotrophins, completely restored physiological axonal transport in neuropathic mice. Together, these findings suggest that selectively targeting muscles with BDNF-boosting therapies could represent a viable therapeutic strategy for CMT2D.
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Affiliation(s)
- James N. Sleigh
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases and UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, and
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
| | - David Villarroel-Campos
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases and UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, and
| | - Sunaina Surana
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases and UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, and
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
| | - Tahmina Wickenden
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases and UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, and
| | - Yao Tong
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Rebecca L. Simkin
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases and UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, and
| | - Jose Norberto S. Vargas
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases and UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, and
| | - Elena R. Rhymes
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases and UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, and
| | - Andrew P. Tosolini
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases and UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, and
| | | | - Qian Zhang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Xiang-Lei Yang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Giampietro Schiavo
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases and UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, and
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
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15
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Kumar A, Das SK, Emdad L, Fisher PB. Applications of tissue-specific and cancer-selective gene promoters for cancer diagnosis and therapy. Adv Cancer Res 2023; 160:253-315. [PMID: 37704290 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2023.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
Current treatment of solid tumors with standard of care chemotherapies, radiation therapy and/or immunotherapies are often limited by severe adverse toxic effects, resulting in a narrow therapeutic index. Cancer gene therapy represents a targeted approach that in principle could significantly reduce undesirable side effects in normal tissues while significantly inhibiting tumor growth and progression. To be effective, this strategy requires a clear understanding of the molecular biology of cancer development and evolution and developing biological vectors that can serve as vehicles to target cancer cells. The advent and fine tuning of omics technologies that permit the collective and spatial recognition of genes (genomics), mRNAs (transcriptomics), proteins (proteomics), metabolites (metabolomics), epiomics (epigenomics, epitranscriptomics, and epiproteomics), and their interactomics in defined complex biological samples provide a roadmap for identifying crucial targets of relevance to the cancer paradigm. Combining these strategies with identified genetic elements that control target gene expression uncovers significant opportunities for developing guided gene-based therapeutics for cancer. The purpose of this review is to overview the current state and potential limitations in developing gene promoter-directed targeted expression of key genes and highlights their potential applications in cancer gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Kumar
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States; VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Swadesh K Das
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States; VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States; VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Luni Emdad
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States; VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States; VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Paul B Fisher
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States; VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States; VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States.
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16
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Yan R, Cigliola V, Oonk KA, Petrover Z, DeLuca S, Wolfson DW, Vekstein A, Mendiola MA, Devlin G, Bishawi M, Gemberling MP, Sinha T, Sargent MA, York AJ, Shakked A, DeBenedittis P, Wendell DC, Ou J, Kang J, Goldman JA, Baht GS, Karra R, Williams AR, Bowles DE, Asokan A, Tzahor E, Gersbach CA, Molkentin JD, Bursac N, Black BL, Poss KD. An enhancer-based gene-therapy strategy for spatiotemporal control of cargoes during tissue repair. Cell Stem Cell 2023; 30:96-111.e6. [PMID: 36516837 PMCID: PMC9830588 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2022.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The efficacy and safety of gene-therapy strategies for indications like tissue damage hinge on precision; yet, current methods afford little spatial or temporal control of payload delivery. Here, we find that tissue-regeneration enhancer elements (TREEs) isolated from zebrafish can direct targeted, injury-associated gene expression from viral DNA vectors delivered systemically in small and large adult mammalian species. When employed in combination with CRISPR-based epigenome editing tools in mice, zebrafish TREEs stimulated or repressed the expression of endogenous genes after ischemic myocardial infarction. Intravenously delivered recombinant AAV vectors designed with a TREE to direct a constitutively active YAP factor boosted indicators of cardiac regeneration in mice and improved the function of the injured heart. Our findings establish the application of contextual enhancer elements as a potential therapeutic platform for spatiotemporally controlled tissue regeneration in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruorong Yan
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical School, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Valentina Cigliola
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical School, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kelsey A Oonk
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical School, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Zachary Petrover
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Sophia DeLuca
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical School, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - David W Wolfson
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical School, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Andrew Vekstein
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Garth Devlin
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Muath Bishawi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Matthew P Gemberling
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Tanvi Sinha
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Michelle A Sargent
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Allen J York
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Avraham Shakked
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | | | - David C Wendell
- Duke Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jianhong Ou
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Junsu Kang
- Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Joseph A Goldman
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Gurpreet S Baht
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Ravi Karra
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Adam R Williams
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Dawn E Bowles
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Aravind Asokan
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Eldad Tzahor
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Charles A Gersbach
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical School, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jeffery D Molkentin
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Nenad Bursac
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Brian L Black
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kenneth D Poss
- Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical School, Durham, NC, USA; Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
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17
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Strategies for Bottlenecks of rAAV-Mediated Expression in Skeletal and Cardiac Muscle of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13112021. [DOI: 10.3390/genes13112021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene therapy using the adeno-associated virus (rAAV) to deliver mini/micro- dystrophin is the current promising strategy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). However, the further transformation of this strategy still faces many “bottlenecks”. Most gene therapies are only suitable for infants with strong muscle cell regeneration and immature immune system, and the treatment depends heavily on the high dose of rAAV. However, high-dose rAAV inevitably causes side effects such as immune response and acute liver toxicity. Therefore, how to reduce the degree of fibrosis and excessive immune response in older patients and uncouple the dependence association between therapeutic effect and high dose rAAV are crucial steps for the transformation of rAAV-based gene therapy. The article analyzes the latest research and finds that the application of utrophin, the homologous protein of dystrophin, could avoid the immune response associated with dystrophin, and the exploration of methods to improve the expression level of mini/micro-utrophin in striated muscle, combined with the novel MyoAAV with high efficiency and specific infection of striated muscle, is expected to achieve the same therapeutic efficacy under the condition of reducing the dose of rAAV. Furthermore, the delivery of allogeneic cardio sphere-derived cells (CDCs) with anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic characteristics combined with immune suppression can provide a continuous and appropriate “window period” for gene therapy. This strategy can expand the number of patients who could benefit from gene therapy.
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18
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Suoranta T, Laham-Karam N, Ylä-Herttuala S. Strategies to improve safety profile of AAV vectors. FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR MEDICINE 2022; 2:1054069. [PMID: 39086961 PMCID: PMC11285686 DOI: 10.3389/fmmed.2022.1054069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors are currently used in four approved gene therapies for Leber congenital amaurosis (Luxturna), spinal muscular atrophy (Zolgensma), aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase deficiency (Upstaza) and Haemophilia A (Roctavian), with several more therapies being investigated in clinical trials. AAV gene therapy has long been considered extremely safe both in the context of immunotoxicity and genotoxicity, but recent tragic deaths in the clinical trials for X-linked myotubular myopathy and Duchenne's muscular dystrophy, together with increasing reports of potential hepatic oncogenicity in animal models have prompted re-evaluation of how much trust we can place on the safety of AAV gene therapy, especially at high doses. In this review we cover genome and capsid engineering strategies that can be used to improve safety of the next generation AAV vectors both in the context of immunogenicity and genotoxicity and discuss the gaps that need filling in our current knowledge about AAV vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuisku Suoranta
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Nihay Laham-Karam
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Seppo Ylä-Herttuala
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Heart Center, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
- Gene Therapy Unit, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
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19
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Meng J, Moore M, Counsell J, Muntoni F, Popplewell L, Morgan J. Optimized lentiviral vector to restore full-length dystrophin via a cell-mediated approach in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2022; 25:491-507. [PMID: 35615709 PMCID: PMC9121076 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2022.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a muscle wasting disorder caused by mutations in the DMD gene. Restoration of full-length dystrophin protein in skeletal muscle would have therapeutic benefit, but lentivirally mediated delivery of such a large gene in vivo has been hindered by lack of tissue specificity, limited transduction, and insufficient transgene expression. To address these problems, we developed a lentiviral vector, which contains a muscle-specific promoter and sequence-optimized full-length dystrophin, to constrain dystrophin expression to differentiated myotubes/myofibers and enhance the transgene expression. We further explored the efficiency of restoration of full-length dystrophin in vivo, by grafting DMD myoblasts that had been corrected by this optimized lentiviral vector intramuscularly into an immunodeficient DMD mouse model. We show that these lentivirally corrected DMD myoblasts effectively reconstituted full-length dystrophin expression in 93.58% ± 2.17% of the myotubes in vitro. Moreover, dystrophin was restored in 64.4% ± 2.87% of the donor-derived regenerated muscle fibers in vivo, which were able to recruit members of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex at the sarcolemma. This study represents a significant advance over existing cell-mediated gene therapy strategies for DMD that aim to restore full-length dystrophin expression in skeletal muscle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinhong Meng
- Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, Molecular Neurosciences Section, Developmental Neuroscience Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
- National Institute for Health Research, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Marc Moore
- Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, Molecular Neurosciences Section, Developmental Neuroscience Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham Hill, Egham TW20 0EX, UK
- National Institute for Health Research, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - John Counsell
- Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, Molecular Neurosciences Section, Developmental Neuroscience Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
- UCL Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, Charles Bell House, 43-45 Foley Street, London W1W 7TY, UK
- National Institute for Health Research, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Francesco Muntoni
- Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, Molecular Neurosciences Section, Developmental Neuroscience Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
- National Institute for Health Research, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Linda Popplewell
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham Hill, Egham TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Jennifer Morgan
- Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, Molecular Neurosciences Section, Developmental Neuroscience Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
- National Institute for Health Research, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
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20
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Therapeutic potential of highly functional codon-optimized microutrophin for muscle-specific expression. Sci Rep 2022; 12:848. [PMID: 35039573 PMCID: PMC8764061 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-04892-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
High expectations have been set on gene therapy with an AAV-delivered shortened version of dystrophin (µDys) for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), with several drug candidates currently undergoing clinical trials. Safety concerns with this therapeutic approach include the immune response to introduced dystrophin antigens observed in some DMD patients. Recent reports highlighted microutrophin (µUtrn) as a less immunogenic functional dystrophin substitute for gene therapy. In the current study, we created a human codon-optimized µUtrn which was subjected to side-by-side characterization with previously reported mouse and human µUtrn sequences after rAAV9 intramuscular injections in mdx mice. Long-term studies with systemic delivery of rAAV9-µUtrn demonstrated robust transgene expression in muscles, with localization to the sarcolemma, functional improvement of muscle performance, decreased creatine kinase levels, and lower immunogenicity as compared to µDys. An extensive toxicity study in wild-type rats did not reveal adverse changes associated with high-dose rAAV9 administration and human codon-optimized µUtrn overexpression. Furthermore, we verified that muscle-specific promoters MHCK7 and SPc5-12 drive a sufficient level of rAAV9-µUtrn expression to ameliorate the dystrophic phenotype in mdx mice. Our results provide ground for taking human codon-optimized µUtrn combined with muscle-specific promoters into clinical development as safe and efficient gene therapy for DMD.
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21
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Eggers M, Vannoy CH, Huang J, Purushothaman P, Brassard J, Fonck C, Meng H, Prom MJ, Lawlor MW, Cunningham J, Sadhu C, Mavilio F. Muscle-directed gene therapy corrects Pompe disease and uncovers species-specific GAA immunogenicity. EMBO Mol Med 2022; 14:e13968. [PMID: 34850579 PMCID: PMC8749482 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202113968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Pompe disease is a severe disorder caused by loss of acid α-glucosidase (GAA), leading to glycogen accumulation in tissues and neuromuscular and cardiac dysfunction. Enzyme replacement therapy is the only available treatment. AT845 is an adeno-associated viral vector designed to express human GAA specifically in skeletal muscle and heart. Systemic administration of AT845 in Gaa-/- mice led to a dose-dependent increase in GAA activity, glycogen clearance in muscles and heart, and functional improvement. AT845 was tolerated in cynomolgus macaques at low doses, while high doses caused anti-GAA immune response, inflammation, and cardiac abnormalities resulting in unscheduled euthanasia of two animals. Conversely, a vector expressing the macaque GAA caused no detectable pathology, indicating that the toxicity observed with AT845 was an anti-GAA xenogeneic immune response. Western blot analysis showed abnormal processing of human GAA in cynomolgus muscle, adding to the species-specific effects of enzyme expression. Overall, these studies show that AAV-mediated GAA delivery to muscle is efficacious in Gaa-/- mice and highlight limitations in predicting the toxicity of AAV vectors encoding human proteins in non-human species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Eggers
- Nonclinical, Pharmacology/ToxicologyAudentes TherapeuticsSan FranciscoCAUSA
| | - Charles H Vannoy
- Nonclinical, Pharmacology/ToxicologyAudentes TherapeuticsSan FranciscoCAUSA
| | - Jianyong Huang
- Nonclinical, Pharmacology/ToxicologyAudentes TherapeuticsSan FranciscoCAUSA
| | | | | | - Carlos Fonck
- Nonclinical, Pharmacology/ToxicologyAudentes TherapeuticsSan FranciscoCAUSA
| | - Hui Meng
- Department of Pathology and Neuroscience Research CenterMedical College of WisconsinMilwaukeeWIUSA
| | - Mariah J Prom
- Department of Pathology and Neuroscience Research CenterMedical College of WisconsinMilwaukeeWIUSA
| | - Michael W Lawlor
- Department of Pathology and Neuroscience Research CenterMedical College of WisconsinMilwaukeeWIUSA
| | - Justine Cunningham
- Nonclinical, Pharmacology/ToxicologyAudentes TherapeuticsSan FranciscoCAUSA
- Present address:
Sana BiotechnologySouth San FranciscoCAUSA
| | - Chanchal Sadhu
- Nonclinical, Pharmacology/ToxicologyAudentes TherapeuticsSan FranciscoCAUSA
| | - Fulvio Mavilio
- Nonclinical, Pharmacology/ToxicologyAudentes TherapeuticsSan FranciscoCAUSA
- Department of Life SciencesUniversity of Modena and Reggio EmiliaModenaItaly
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22
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Sydney-Smith JD, Spejo AB, Warren PM, Moon LDF. Peripherally delivered Adeno-associated viral vectors for spinal cord injury repair. Exp Neurol 2021; 348:113945. [PMID: 34896114 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Via the peripheral and autonomic nervous systems, the spinal cord directly or indirectly connects reciprocally with many body systems (muscular, intengumentary, respiratory, immune, digestive, excretory, reproductive, cardiovascular, etc). Accordingly, spinal cord injury (SCI) can result in catastrophe for multiple body systems including muscle paralysis affecting movement and loss of normal sensation, as well as neuropathic pain, spasticity, reduced fertility and autonomic dysreflexia. Treatments and cure for an injured spinal cord will likely require access of therapeutic agents across the blood-CNS (central nervous system) barrier. However, some types of repair within the CNS may be possible by targeting treatment to peripherally located cells or by delivering Adeno-Associated Viral vectors (AAVs) by peripheral routes (e.g., intrathecal, intravenous). This review will consider some future possibilities for SCI repair generated by therapeutic peripheral gene delivery. There are now six gene therapies approved worldwide as safe and effective medicines of which three were created by modification of the apparently nonpathogenic Adeno-Associated Virus. One of these AAVs, Zolgensma, is injected intrathecally for treatment of spinal muscular atrophy in children. One day, delivery of AAVs into peripheral tissues might improve recovery after spinal cord injury in humans; we discuss experiments by us and others delivering transgenes into nerves or muscles for sensorimotor recovery in animal models of SCI or of stroke including human Neurotrophin-3. We also describe ongoing efforts to develop AAVs that are delivered to particular targets within and without the CNS after peripheral administration using capsids with improved tropisms, promoters that are selective for particular cell types, and methods for controlling the dose and duration of expression of a transgene. In conclusion, in the future, minimally invasive administration of AAVs may improve recovery after SCI with minimal side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared D Sydney-Smith
- Neurorestoration Group, Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, King's College London, University of London, 16-20 Newcomen Street, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Aline B Spejo
- Neurorestoration Group, Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, King's College London, University of London, 16-20 Newcomen Street, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Philippa M Warren
- Neurorestoration Group, Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, King's College London, University of London, 16-20 Newcomen Street, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Lawrence D F Moon
- Neurorestoration Group, Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, King's College London, University of London, 16-20 Newcomen Street, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom.
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23
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Li J, Wang K, Zhang Y, Qi T, Yuan J, Zhang L, Qiu H, Wang J, Yang HT, Dai Y, Song Y, Chang X. Therapeutic Exon Skipping Through a CRISPR-Guided Cytidine Deaminase Rescues Dystrophic Cardiomyopathy in Vivo. Circulation 2021; 144:1760-1776. [PMID: 34698513 DOI: 10.1161/circulationaha.121.054628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Loss of dystrophin protein causes Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), characterized by progressive degeneration of cardiac and skeletal muscles, and mortality in adolescence or young adulthood. Although cardiac failure has risen as the leading cause of mortality in patients with DMD, effective therapeutic interventions remain underdeveloped, in part, because of the lack of a suitable preclinical model. METHODS We analyzed a novel murine model of DMD created by introducing a 4-bp deletion into exon 4, one of the exons encoding the actin-binding domain 1 of dystrophin (referred to as DmdE4* mice). Echocardiography, microcomputed tomography, muscle force measurement, and histological analysis were performed to determine cardiac and skeletal muscle defects in these mice. Using this model, we examined the feasibility of using a cytidine base editor to install exon skipping and rescue dystrophic cardiomyopathy in vivo. AAV9-based CRISPR/Cas9-AID (eTAM) together with AAV9-sgRNA was injected into neonatal DmdE4* mice, which were analyzed 2 or 12 months after treatment to evaluate the extent of exon skipping, dystrophin restoration, and phenotypic improvements of cardiac and skeletal muscles. RESULTS DmdE4* mice recapitulated many aspects of human DMD, including shortened life span (by ≈50%), progressive cardiomyopathy, kyphosis, profound loss of muscle strength, and myocyte degeneration. A single-dose administration of AAV9-eTAM instituted >50% targeted exon skipping in the Dmd transcripts and restored up to 90% dystrophin in the heart. As a result, early ventricular remodeling was prevented and cardiac and skeletal muscle functions were improved, leading to an increased life span of the DmdE4* mice. Despite gradual decline of AAV vector and base editor expression, dystrophin restoration and pathophysiological rescue of muscular dystrophy were long lasted for at least 1 year. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates the feasibility and efficacy to institute exon skipping through an enhanced TAM (eTAM) for therapeutic application(s).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Li
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China (J.L., K.W., Y.Z., T.Q., L.Z., H.Q., X.C.).,Chinese Academy of Sciences, China. Joint Research Center of Hangzhou First Hospital Group and Westlake University, Zhejiang, China (J.L., K.W., Y.Z., T.Q., X.C.)
| | - Kaiying Wang
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China (J.L., K.W., Y.Z., T.Q., L.Z., H.Q., X.C.).,Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China (J.L., K.W., Y.Z., T.Q., L.Z., H.Q., X.C.).,Chinese Academy of Sciences, China. Joint Research Center of Hangzhou First Hospital Group and Westlake University, Zhejiang, China (J.L., K.W., Y.Z., T.Q., X.C.)
| | - Yuchen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China (J.L., K.W., Y.Z., T.Q., L.Z., H.Q., X.C.).,Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China (J.L., K.W., Y.Z., T.Q., L.Z., H.Q., X.C.).,Chinese Academy of Sciences, China. Joint Research Center of Hangzhou First Hospital Group and Westlake University, Zhejiang, China (J.L., K.W., Y.Z., T.Q., X.C.)
| | - Tuan Qi
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China (J.L., K.W., Y.Z., T.Q., L.Z., H.Q., X.C.).,Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China (J.L., K.W., Y.Z., T.Q., L.Z., H.Q., X.C.).,Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (SJTUSM), China (T.Q.).,Chinese Academy of Sciences, China. Joint Research Center of Hangzhou First Hospital Group and Westlake University, Zhejiang, China (J.L., K.W., Y.Z., T.Q., X.C.).,Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China (J.L., K.W., Y.Z., T.Q., L.Z., H.Q., X.C.)
| | - Juanjuan Yuan
- Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University (The First People's Hospital of Shunde), Foshan City, Guangdong Province, China (J.Y., H.Q.)
| | - Lei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China (J.L., K.W., Y.Z., T.Q., L.Z., H.Q., X.C.).,Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China (J.L., K.W., Y.Z., T.Q., L.Z., H.Q., X.C.).,Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China (J.L., K.W., Y.Z., T.Q., L.Z., H.Q., X.C.)
| | - Han Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China (J.L., K.W., Y.Z., T.Q., L.Z., H.Q., X.C.).,Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China (J.L., K.W., Y.Z., T.Q., L.Z., H.Q., X.C.).,Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University (The First People's Hospital of Shunde), Foshan City, Guangdong Province, China (J.Y., H.Q.).,CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (H.Q., J.W., H.-T.Y.).,Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China (J.L., K.W., Y.Z., T.Q., L.Z., H.Q., X.C.)
| | - Jinxi Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Laboratory of Molecular Cardiology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health (J.W., H.-T.Y.).,CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (H.Q., J.W., H.-T.Y.)
| | - Huang-Tian Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Laboratory of Molecular Cardiology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health (J.W., H.-T.Y.).,CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (H.Q., J.W., H.-T.Y.)
| | - Yi Dai
- Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China (Y.D.)
| | - Yan Song
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla (Y.S.)
| | - Xing Chang
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China (J.L., K.W., Y.Z., T.Q., L.Z., H.Q., X.C.).,Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China (J.L., K.W., Y.Z., T.Q., L.Z., H.Q., X.C.).,Chinese Academy of Sciences, China. Joint Research Center of Hangzhou First Hospital Group and Westlake University, Zhejiang, China (J.L., K.W., Y.Z., T.Q., X.C.).,Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China (J.L., K.W., Y.Z., T.Q., L.Z., H.Q., X.C.)
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24
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Ozes B, Moss K, Myers M, Ridgley A, Chen L, Murrey D, Sahenk Z. AAV1.NT-3 gene therapy in a CMT2D model: phenotypic improvements in GarsP278KY/+ mice. Brain Commun 2021; 3:fcab252. [PMID: 34755111 PMCID: PMC8568849 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcab252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Glycyl-tRNA synthetase mutations are associated to the Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type-2D. The GarsP278KY/+ model for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type-2D is known best for its early onset severe neuropathic phenotype with findings including reduced axon size, slow conduction velocities and abnormal neuromuscular junction. Muscle involvement remains largely unexamined. We tested the efficacy of neurotrophin 3 gene transfer therapy in two Gars mutants with severe (GarsP278KY/+ ) and milder (GarsΔETAQ/+ ) phenotypes via intramuscular injection of adeno-associated virus setoype-1, triple tandem muscle creatine kinase promoter, neurotrophin 3 (AAV1.tMCK.NT-3) at 1 × 1011 vg dose. In the GarsP278KY/+ mice, the treatment efficacy was assessed at 12 weeks post-injection using rotarod test, electrophysiology and detailed quantitative histopathological studies of the peripheral nervous system including neuromuscular junction and muscle. Neurotrophin 3 gene transfer therapy in GarsP278KY/+ mice resulted in significant functional and electrophysiological improvements, supported with increases in myelin thickness and improvements in the denervated status of neuromuscular junctions as well as increases in muscle fibre size along with attenuation of myopathic changes. Improvements in the milder phenotype GarsΔETAQ/+ was less pronounced. Furthermore, oxidative enzyme histochemistry in muscles from Gars mutants revealed alterations in the content and distribution of oxidative enzymes with increased expression levels of Pgc1a. Cox1, Cox3 and Atp5d transcripts were significantly decreased suggesting that the muscle phenotype might be related to mitochondrial dysfunction. Neurotrophin 3 gene therapy attenuated these abnormalities in the muscle. This study shows that neurotrophin 3 gene transfer therapy has disease modifying effect in a mouse model for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type-2D, leading to meaningful improvements in peripheral nerve myelination and neuromuscular junction integrity as well as in a unique myopathic process, associated with mitochondria dysfunction, all in combination contributing to functional outcome. Based on the multiple biological effects of this versatile molecule, we predict neurotrophin 3 has the potential to be beneficial in other aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Burcak Ozes
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Gene Therapy, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Kyle Moss
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Gene Therapy, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Morgan Myers
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Gene Therapy, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Alicia Ridgley
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Gene Therapy, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Lei Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Gene Therapy, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Darren Murrey
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Gene Therapy, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Zarife Sahenk
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Gene Therapy, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.,Department of Pediatrics and Neurology, Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
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25
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Xu B, Liu C, Zhang H, Zhang R, Tang M, Huang Y, Jin L, Xu L, Hu C, Jia W. Skeletal muscle-targeted delivery of Fgf6 protects mice from diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance. JCI Insight 2021; 6:e149969. [PMID: 34491915 PMCID: PMC8525645 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.149969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity, a major health care issue, is characterized by metabolic abnormalities in multiple tissues, including the skeletal muscle. Although dysregulation of skeletal muscle metabolism can strongly influence the homeostasis of systemic energy, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. We found promoter hypermethylation and decreased gene expression of fibroblast growth factor 6 (FGF6) in the skeletal muscle of individuals with obesity using high-throughput sequencing. Reduced binding of the cyclic AMP responsive element binding protein-1 (CREB1) to the hypermethylated cyclic AMP response element, which is a regulatory element upstream of the transcription initiation site, partially contributed to the downregulation of FGF6 in patients with obesity. Overexpression of Fgf6 in mouse skeletal muscle stimulated protein synthesis, activating the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway, and prevented the increase in weight and the development of insulin resistance in high-fat diet–fed mice. Thus, our findings highlight the role played by Fgf6 in regulating skeletal muscle hypertrophy and whole-body metabolism, indicating its potential in strategies aimed at preventing and treating metabolic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Xu
- Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Caizhi Liu
- Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Rong Zhang
- Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Mengyang Tang
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Fengxian Central Hospital Affiliated to the Southern Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Huang
- Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Jin
- Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Lingyan Xu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Cheng Hu
- Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China.,Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Fengxian Central Hospital Affiliated to the Southern Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weiping Jia
- Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
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26
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Abbadi D, Andrews JJ, Katsara O, Schneider RJ. AUF1 gene transfer increases exercise performance and improves skeletal muscle deficit in adult mice. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2021; 22:222-236. [PMID: 34485607 PMCID: PMC8399044 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2021.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Muscle function and mass begin declining in adults long before evidence of sarcopenia and include reduced mitochondrial function, although much remains to be characterized. We found that mRNA decay factor AU-rich mRNA binding factor 1 (AUF1), which stimulates myogenesis, is strongly reduced in skeletal muscle of adult and older mice in the absence of evidence of sarcopenia. Muscle-specific adeno-associated virus (AAV)8-AUF1 gene therapy increased expression of AUF1, muscle function, and mass. AAV8 AUF1 muscle gene transfer in 12-month-old mice increased the levels of activated muscle stem (satellite) cells, increased muscle mass, reduced markers of muscle atrophy, increased markers of mitochondrial content and muscle fiber oxidative capacity, and enhanced exercise performance to levels of 3-month-old mice. With wild-type and AUF1 knockout mice and cultured myoblasts, AUF1 supplementation of muscle fibers was found to increase expression of Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor Gamma Co-activator 1-alpha (PGC1α), a major effector of skeletal muscle mitochondrial oxidative metabolism. AUF1 stabilized and increased translation of the pgc1α mRNA, which is strongly reduced in adult muscle in the absence of AUF1 supplementation. Skeletal muscle-specific gene transfer of AUF1 therefore restores muscle mass, increases exercise endurance, and may provide a therapeutic strategy for age-related muscle loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dounia Abbadi
- Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - John J. Andrews
- Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Olga Katsara
- Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Robert J. Schneider
- Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
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27
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Sahenk Z, Ozes B, Murrey D, Myers M, Moss K, Yalvac ME, Ridgley A, Chen L, Mendell JR. Systemic delivery of AAVrh74.tMCK.hCAPN3 rescues the phenotype in a mouse model for LGMD2A/R1. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2021; 22:401-414. [PMID: 34514031 PMCID: PMC8413669 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2021.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Limb girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) 2A/R1, caused by mutations in the CAPN3 gene and CAPN3 loss of function, is known to play a role in disease pathogenicity. In this study, AAVrh74.tMCK.CAPN3 was delivered systemically to two different age groups of CAPN3 knockout (KO) mice; each group included two treatment cohorts receiving low (1.17 × 1014 vg/kg) and high (2.35 × 1014 vg/kg) doses of the vector and untreated controls. Treatment efficacy was tested 20 weeks after gene delivery using functional (treadmill), physiological (in vivo muscle contractility assay), and histopathological outcomes. AAV.CAPN3 gene therapy resulted in significant, robust improvements in functional outcomes and muscle physiology at low and high doses in both age groups. Histological analyses of skeletal muscle showed remodeling of muscle, a switch to fatigue-resistant oxidative fibers in females, and fiber size increases in both sexes. Safety studies revealed no organ tissue abnormalities; specifically, there was no histopathological evidence of cardiotoxicity. These results show that CAPN3 gene replacement therapy improved the phenotype in the CAPN3 KO mouse model at both doses independent of age at the time of vector administration. The improvements were supported by an absence of cardiotoxicity, showing the efficacy and safety of the AAV.CAPN3 vector as a potential gene therapy for LGMDR1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zarife Sahenk
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, 700 Children's Drive, Rm. WA 3024, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.,Department of Pediatrics and Neurology, Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Burcak Ozes
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, 700 Children's Drive, Rm. WA 3024, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Darren Murrey
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, 700 Children's Drive, Rm. WA 3024, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Morgan Myers
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, 700 Children's Drive, Rm. WA 3024, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Kyle Moss
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, 700 Children's Drive, Rm. WA 3024, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Mehmet E Yalvac
- Department of Neurology, The Ohio State University, Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Alicia Ridgley
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, 700 Children's Drive, Rm. WA 3024, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Lei Chen
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, 700 Children's Drive, Rm. WA 3024, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Jerry R Mendell
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, 700 Children's Drive, Rm. WA 3024, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.,Department of Pediatrics and Neurology, Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
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28
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Scano M, Benetollo A, Nogara L, Bondì M, Barba FD, Soardi M, Furlan S, Akyurek EE, Caccin P, Carotti M, Sacchetto R, Blaauw B, Sandonà D. CFTR corrector C17 is effective in muscular dystrophy, in vivo proof of concept in LGMDR3. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 31:499-509. [PMID: 34505136 PMCID: PMC8863415 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy R3 (LGMDR3) is caused by mutations in the SGCA gene coding for α-sarcoglycan (SG). Together with β- γ- and δ-SG, α-SG forms a tetramer embedded in the dystrophin associated protein complex crucial for protecting the sarcolemma from mechanical stresses elicited by muscle contraction. Most LGMDR3 cases are due to missense mutations, which result in non-properly folded, even though potentially functional α-SG. These mutants are prematurely discarded by the cell quality control. Lacking one subunit, the SG-complex is disrupted. The resulting loss of function leads to sarcolemma instability, muscle fiber damage and progressive limb muscle weakness. LGMDR3 is severely disabling and, unfortunately, still incurable. Here, we propose the use of small molecules, belonging to the class of cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) correctors, for recovering mutants of α-SG defective in folding and trafficking. Specifically, CFTR corrector C17 successfully rerouted the SG-complex containing the human R98H-α-SG to the sarcolemma of hind-limb muscles of a novel LGMDR3 murine model. Notably, the muscle force of the treated model animals was fully recovered. To our knowledge, this is the first time that a compound designated for cystic fibrosis is successfully tested in a muscular dystrophy and may represent a novel paradigm of treatment for LGMDR3 as well as different other indications in which a potentially functional protein is prematurely discarded as folding-defective. Furthermore, the use of small molecules for recovering the endogenous mutated SG has an evident advantage over complex procedures such as gene or cell transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Scano
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Italy
| | | | - Leonardo Nogara
- Venetian Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Michela Bondì
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Italy
| | | | - Michela Soardi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Sandra Furlan
- Neuroscience Institute - Italian National Research Council (CNR), Italy
| | - Eylem Emek Akyurek
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Paola Caccin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Italy
| | | | - Roberta Sacchetto
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Bert Blaauw
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Italy.,Venetian Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Italy
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29
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Jiang Z, Le Y, Chen M, Yang Y, Xu X, Li C, Zhang K, Zhao S, Zhou R. A modified protocol for the high yield production of a recombinant adeno-associated virus vector. GENE REPORTS 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.genrep.2021.101227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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30
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Mushimiyimana I, Niskanen H, Beter M, Laakkonen JP, Kaikkonen MU, Ylä-Herttuala S, Laham-Karam N. Characterization of a functional endothelial super-enhancer that regulates ADAMTS18 and angiogenesis. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:8078-8096. [PMID: 34320216 PMCID: PMC8373076 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Super-enhancers are clusters of enhancers associated with cell lineage. They can be powerful gene-regulators and may be useful in cell-type specific viral-vector development. Here, we have screened for endothelial super-enhancers and identified an enhancer from within a cluster that conferred 5–70-fold increase in transgene expression. Importantly, CRISPR/Cas9 deletion of enhancers demonstrated regulation of ADAMTS18, corresponding to evidence of chromatin contacts between these genomic regions. Cell division-related pathways were primarily affected by the enhancer deletions, which correlated with significant reduction in cell proliferation. Furthermore, we observed changes in angiogenesis-related genes consistent with the endothelial specificity of this SE. Indeed, deletion of the enhancers affected tube formation, resulting in reduced or shortened sprouts. The super-enhancer angiogenic role is at least partly due to its regulation of ADAMTS18, as siRNA knockdown of ADAMTS18 resulted in significantly shortened endothelial sprouts. Hence, functional characterization of a novel endothelial super-enhancer has revealed substantial downstream effects from single enhancer deletions and led to the discovery of the cis-target gene ADAMTS18 and its role in endothelial function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isidore Mushimiyimana
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences; University of Eastern Finland; Kuopio 70211, Finland
| | - Henri Niskanen
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences; University of Eastern Finland; Kuopio 70211, Finland
| | - Mustafa Beter
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences; University of Eastern Finland; Kuopio 70211, Finland
| | - Johanna P Laakkonen
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences; University of Eastern Finland; Kuopio 70211, Finland
| | - Minna U Kaikkonen
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences; University of Eastern Finland; Kuopio 70211, Finland
| | - Seppo Ylä-Herttuala
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences; University of Eastern Finland; Kuopio 70211, Finland.,Heart Center and Gene Therapy Unit; Kuopio University Hospital; Kuopio 70029, Finland
| | - Nihay Laham-Karam
- A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences; University of Eastern Finland; Kuopio 70211, Finland
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31
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Chu X, Li J, Qiao C, Wang J, Wang Y, Jiang XC, You H, Xiao X, Wang B. Long-term effect of human mini-dystrophin in transgenic mdx mice improves muscle physiological function. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21628. [PMID: 33982338 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202100057rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a lethal genetic muscle disorder caused by recessive mutations in dystrophin gene, affecting 1/3000 males. Gene therapy has been proven to ameliorate dystrophic pathology. To investigate therapeutic benefits from long-term effect of human mini-dystrophin and functional outcomes, transgenic mdx mice (Tg-mdx) containing a single copy of human mini-dystrophin (∆hDys3849) gene, five rods (Rods1-2, Rods22-24), and two hinges (H1 and H4) driven by a truncated creatine-kinase promoter (dMCK) in a recombinant adeno-associated viral vector (rAAV) backbone, were generated and used to determine gene expression and improvement of muscle function. Human mini-dystrophin gene expression was found in a majority of the skeletal muscles, but no expression in cardiac muscle. Dystrophin-associated glycoproteins (DAGs) such as sarcoglycans and nNOS were restored at the sarcolemma and coincided with human mini-dystrophin gene expression at the ages of 6, 10, and 20 months; Morphology of dystrophic muscle expressing the human mini-dystrophin gene was improved and central nuclei were reduced. Myofiber membrane integrity was improved by Evans blue dye test. Improvement in treadmill running and grip force was observed in transgenic mice at 6 months. Tetanic force and specific force of tibialis anterior (TA) muscle were significantly increased at the ages of 6, 10, and 20 months. Pseudohypertrophy was not found in TA muscle at 10 and 20 months when compared with wild-type C57 (WT) group. This study demonstrated that the long-term effects of human mini-dystrophin effectively ameliorated pathology and improved the functions of the dystrophic muscles in the transgenic DMD mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyu Chu
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Orthopedics, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Juan Li
- Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Chunping Qiao
- Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yiqing Wang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Xian-Cheng Jiang
- Department of Cell Biology, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Hongbo You
- Department of Orthopedics, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiao Xiao
- Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Bing Wang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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32
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Prakoso D, Tate M, Blasio M, Ritchie R. Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector-mediated therapeutics for diabetic cardiomyopathy - current and future perspectives. Clin Sci (Lond) 2021; 135:1369-1387. [PMID: 34076247 PMCID: PMC8187922 DOI: 10.1042/cs20210052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Diabetes increases the prevalence of heart failure by 6-8-fold, independent of other comorbidities such as hypertension and coronary artery disease, a phenomenon termed diabetic cardiomyopathy. Several key signalling pathways have been identified that drive the pathological changes associated with diabetes-induced heart failure. This has led to the development of multiple pharmacological agents that are currently available for clinical use. While fairly effective at delaying disease progression, these treatments do not reverse the cardiac damage associated with diabetes. One potential alternative avenue for targeting diabetes-induced heart failure is the use of adeno-associated viral vector (AAV) gene therapy, which has shown great versatility in a multitude of disease settings. AAV gene therapy has the potential to target specific cells or tissues, has a low host immune response and has the possibility to represent a lifelong cure, not possible with current conventional pharmacotherapies. In this review, we will assess the therapeutic potential of AAV gene therapy as a treatment for diabetic cardiomyopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darnel Prakoso
- Departments of Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University Parkville Campus, Australia
| | - Mitchel Tate
- Departments of Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University Parkville Campus, Australia
- Diabetes, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Miles J. De Blasio
- Departments of Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University Parkville Campus, Australia
- Pharmacology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Rebecca H. Ritchie
- Departments of Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University Parkville Campus, Australia
- Diabetes, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- Pharmacology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
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33
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Xin C, Chu X, Wei W, Kuang B, Wang Y, Tang Y, Chen J, You H, Li C, Wang B. Combined gene therapy via VEGF and mini-dystrophin synergistically improves pathologies in temporalis muscle of dystrophin/utrophin double knockout mice. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 30:1349-1359. [PMID: 33987645 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe X-linked inherited muscular disorder characterized by the loss of dystrophin. We have previously shown that monogene therapy using the mini-dystrophin gene improves muscle function in DMD. However, chronic inflammation plays an important role in progressive muscle degeneration in DMD as well. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been used to enhance muscle vasculature, reduce local inflammation and improve DMD muscle function. Temporalis muscles are the key skeletal muscles for mastication and loss of their function negatively affects DMD patient quality of life by reducing nutritional intake, but little is known about the pathology and treatment of the temporalis muscle in DMD. In this work, we tested the hypothesis that the combined delivery of the human mini-dystrophin and human VEGF genes to the temporalis muscles using separate recombinant adeno-associated viral (rAAV) vectors will synergistically improve muscle function and pathology in adult male dystrophin/utrophin double-knockout (mdx/utrn+/-) mice. The experimental mice were divided into four groups including: dystrophin + VEGF combined, dystrophin only, VEGF only and PBS control. After 2 months, gene expression and histological analysis of the temporalis muscles showed a synergistic improvement in temporalis muscle pathology and function coincident with increased restoration of dystrophin-associated protein complexes and nNOS in the dystrophin + VEGF combined group. We also observed significantly reduced inflammatory cell infiltration, central nucleation, and fibrosis in the dystrophin + VEGF combined group. We have demonstrated the efficacy of combined rAAV-mediated dystrophin and VEGF treatment of temporalis muscles in a DMD mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Xin
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China
| | - Xiangyu Chu
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA.,Department of Orthopedics, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Wenzhong Wei
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA.,Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Biao Kuang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA.,Department of Orthopedics, Xiangya Hospital, Zhongnan University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
| | - Yiqing Wang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA
| | - Ying Tang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA.,Center for Pulmonary Vascular Biology and Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Jincao Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China
| | - Hongbo You
- Department of Orthopedics, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Chengwen Li
- Gene Therapy Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Bing Wang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA
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34
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Malerba A, Sidoli C, Lu-Nguyen N, Herath S, Le Heron A, Abdul-Razak H, Jarmin S, VandenDriessche T, Chuah MK, Dickson G, Popplewell L. Dose-Dependent Microdystrophin Expression Enhancement in Cardiac Muscle by a Cardiac-Specific Regulatory Element. Hum Gene Ther 2021; 32:1138-1146. [PMID: 33765840 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2020.325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive disease that affects 1:5,000 live male births and is characterized by muscle wasting. By the age of 13 years, affected individuals are often wheelchair bound and suffer from respiratory and cardiac failure, which results in premature death. Although the administration of corticosteroids and ventilation can relieve the symptoms and extend the patients' lifespan, currently no cure exists for DMD. Among the different approaches under preclinical and clinical testing, gene therapy, using adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors, is one of the most promising. In this study, we delivered intravenously AAV9 vectors expressing the microdystrophin MD1 (ΔR4-R23/ΔCT) under control of the synthetic muscle-specific promoter Spc5-12 and assessed the effect of adding a cardiac-specific cis-regulatory module (designated as CS-CRM4) on its expression profile in skeletal and cardiac muscles. Results show that Spc5-12 promoter, in combination with an AAV serotype that has high tropism for the heart, drives high MD1 expression levels in cardiac muscle in mdx mice. The additional regulatory element CS-CRM4 can further improve MD1 expression in cardiac muscles, but its effect is dose dependent and enhancement becomes evident only at lower vector doses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Malerba
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Chiara Sidoli
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Ngoc Lu-Nguyen
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Shan Herath
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Anita Le Heron
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Hayder Abdul-Razak
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Susan Jarmin
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Thierry VandenDriessche
- Department of Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marinee K Chuah
- Department of Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - George Dickson
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Linda Popplewell
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, United Kingdom
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35
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Muhuri M, Zhan W, Maeda Y, Li J, Lotun A, Chen J, Sylvia K, Dasgupta I, Arjomandnejad M, Nixon T, Keeler AM, Manokaran S, He R, Su Q, Tai PWL, Gao G. Novel Combinatorial MicroRNA-Binding Sites in AAV Vectors Synergistically Diminish Antigen Presentation and Transgene Immunity for Efficient and Stable Transduction. Front Immunol 2021; 12:674242. [PMID: 33995418 PMCID: PMC8113644 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.674242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) platforms hold promise for in vivo gene therapy but are undermined by the undesirable transduction of antigen presenting cells (APCs), which in turn can trigger host immunity towards rAAV-expressed transgene products. In light of recent adverse events in patients receiving high systemic AAV vector doses that were speculated to be related to host immune responses, development of strategies to mute innate and adaptive immunity is imperative. The use of miRNA binding sites (miR-BSs) to confer endogenous miRNA-mediated regulation to detarget transgene expression from APCs has shown promise for reducing transgene immunity. Studies have shown that designing miR-142BSs into rAAV1 vectors were able to repress costimulatory signals in dendritic cells (DCs), blunt the cytotoxic T cell response, and attenuate clearance of transduced muscle cells in mice to allow sustained transgene expression in myofibers with negligible anti-transgene IgG production. In this study, we screened individual and combinatorial miR-BS designs against 26 miRNAs that are abundantly expressed in APCs, but not in skeletal muscle. The highly immunogenic ovalbumin (OVA) transgene was used as a proxy for foreign antigens. In vitro screening in myoblasts, mouse DCs, and macrophages revealed that the combination of miR-142BS and miR-652-5pBS strongly mutes transgene expression in APCs but maintains high myoblast and myocyte expression. Importantly, rAAV1 vectors carrying this novel miR-142/652-5pBS cassette achieve higher transgene levels following intramuscular injections in mice than previous detargeting designs. The cassette strongly inhibits cytotoxic CTL activation and suppresses the Th17 response in vivo. Our approach, thus, advances the efficiency of miRNA-mediated detargeting to achieve synergistic reduction of transgene-specific immune responses and the development of safe and efficient delivery vehicles for gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manish Muhuri
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- VIDE Program, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Wei Zhan
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- VIDE Program, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Yukiko Maeda
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- VIDE Program, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Jia Li
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Anoushka Lotun
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Jennifer Chen
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Katelyn Sylvia
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Ishani Dasgupta
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Motahareh Arjomandnejad
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Thomas Nixon
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Allison M. Keeler
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Sangeetha Manokaran
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Ran He
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Qin Su
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Phillip W. L. Tai
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- VIDE Program, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Guangping Gao
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
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36
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Chowdhury EA, Meno-Tetang G, Chang HY, Wu S, Huang HW, Jamier T, Chandran J, Shah DK. Current progress and limitations of AAV mediated delivery of protein therapeutic genes and the importance of developing quantitative pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) models. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 170:214-237. [PMID: 33486008 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
While protein therapeutics are one of the most successful class of drug molecules, they are expensive and not suited for treating chronic disorders that require long-term dosing. Adeno-associated virus (AAV) mediated in vivo gene therapy represents a viable alternative, which can deliver the genes of protein therapeutics to produce long-term expression of proteins in target tissues. Ongoing clinical trials and recent regulatory approvals demonstrate great interest in these therapeutics, however, there is a lack of understanding regarding their cellular disposition, whole-body disposition, dose-exposure relationship, exposure-response relationship, and how product quality and immunogenicity affects these important properties. In addition, there is a lack of quantitative studies to support the development of pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic models, which can support the discovery, development, and clinical translation of this delivery system. In this review, we have provided a state-of-the-art overview of current progress and limitations related to AAV mediated delivery of protein therapeutic genes, along with our perspective on the steps that need to be taken to improve clinical translation of this therapeutic modality.
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Griffin DA, Pozsgai ER, Heller KN, Potter RA, Peterson EL, Rodino-Klapac LR. Preclinical Systemic Delivery of Adeno-Associated α-Sarcoglycan Gene Transfer for Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy. Hum Gene Ther 2021; 32:390-404. [PMID: 33349138 PMCID: PMC8066346 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2019.199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2D/R3 (LGMD2D/R3) is a progressive muscular dystrophy that manifests with muscle weakness, respiratory abnormalities, and in rare cases cardiomyopathy. LGMD2D/R3 is caused by mutations in the SGCA gene resulting in loss of protein and concomitant loss of some or all components of the dystrophin-associated glycoprotein complex. The sgca-null (sgca−/−) mouse recapitulates the clinical phenotype of patients with LGMD2D/R3, including dystrophic features such as muscle necrosis and fibrosis, elevated serum creatine kinase (CK), and reduction in the generation of absolute muscle force and locomotor activity. Thus, sgca−/− mice provide a relevant model to test the safety and efficacy of gene transfer. We designed a self-complementary AAVrh74 vector containing a codon-optimized full-length human SGCA (hSGCA) transgene driven by a muscle-specific promoter, shortened muscle creatine kinase (tMCK). In this report, we test the efficacy and safety of scAAVrh74.tMCK.hSGCA in sgca−/− mice using a dose-escalation design to evaluate a single systemic injection of 1.0 × 1012, 3.0 × 1012, and 6.0 × 1012 vg total dose compared with vehicle-treatment and wild-type mice. In sgca−/− mice, treatment with scAAVrh74.tMCK.hSGCA resulted in robust expression of α-sarcoglycan protein at the sarcolemma membrane in skeletal muscle at all doses tested. In addition, scAAVrh74.tMCK.hSGCA was effective in improving the histopathology of limb and diaphragm muscle of sgca−/− mice, as indicated by reductions in fibrosis, central nucleation, and normalization of myofiber size. These molecular changes were concomitant with significant increases in specific force generation in the diaphragm and tibialis anterior muscle, protection against eccentric force loss, and reduction in serum CK. Locomotor activity was improved at all doses of vector-treated compared with vehicle-treated sgca−/− mice. Lastly, vector toxicity was not detected in a serum chemistry panel and by gross necropsy. Collectively, these findings provide support for a systemic delivery of scAAVrh74.tMCK.hSGCA in a clinical setting for the treatment of LGMD2D/R3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle A Griffin
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA.,Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Eric R Pozsgai
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA.,Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kristin N Heller
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Rachael A Potter
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA.,Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ellyn L Peterson
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA.,Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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38
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Dasgupta I, Chatterjee A. Recent Advances in miRNA Delivery Systems. Methods Protoc 2021; 4:mps4010010. [PMID: 33498244 PMCID: PMC7839010 DOI: 10.3390/mps4010010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) represent a family of short non-coding regulatory RNA molecules that are produced in a tissue and time-specific manner to orchestrate gene expression post-transcription. MiRNAs hybridize to target mRNA(s) to induce translation repression or mRNA degradation. Functional studies have demonstrated that miRNAs are engaged in virtually every physiological process and, consequently, miRNA dysregulations have been linked to multiple human pathologies. Thus, miRNA mimics and anti-miRNAs that restore miRNA expression or downregulate aberrantly expressed miRNAs, respectively, are highly sought-after therapeutic strategies for effective manipulation of miRNA levels. In this regard, carrier vehicles that facilitate proficient and safe delivery of miRNA-based therapeutics are fundamental to the clinical success of these pharmaceuticals. Here, we highlight the strengths and weaknesses of current state-of-the-art viral and non-viral miRNA delivery systems and provide perspective on how these tools can be exploited to improve the outcomes of miRNA-based therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishani Dasgupta
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA;
| | - Anushila Chatterjee
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- Correspondence:
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Skopenkova VV, Egorova TV, Bardina MV. Muscle-Specific Promoters for Gene Therapy. Acta Naturae 2021; 13:47-58. [PMID: 33959386 PMCID: PMC8084301 DOI: 10.32607/actanaturae.11063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Many genetic diseases that are responsible for muscular disorders have been described to date. Gene replacement therapy is a state-of-the-art strategy used to treat such diseases. In this approach, the functional copy of a gene is delivered to the affected tissues using viral vectors. There is an urgent need for the design of short, regulatory sequences that would drive a high and robust expression of a therapeutic transgene in skeletal muscles, the diaphragm, and the heart, while exhibiting limited activity in non-target tissues. This review focuses on the development and improvement of muscle-specific promoters based on skeletal muscle α-actin, muscle creatine kinase, and desmin genes, as well as other genes expressed in muscles. The current approaches used to engineer synthetic muscle-specific promoters are described. Other elements of the viral vectors that contribute to tissue-specific expression are also discussed. A special feature of this review is the presence of up-to-date information on the clinical and preclinical trials of gene therapy drug candidates that utilize muscle-specific promoters.
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Affiliation(s)
- V. V. Skopenkova
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334 Russia
- Marlin Biotech LLC, Moscow, 121205 Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334 Russia
| | - T. V. Egorova
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334 Russia
- Marlin Biotech LLC, Moscow, 121205 Russia
| | - M. V. Bardina
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334 Russia
- Marlin Biotech LLC, Moscow, 121205 Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334 Russia
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40
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McNamara EL, Taylor RL, Clayton JS, Goullee H, Dilworth KL, Pinós T, Brull A, Alexander IE, Lisowski L, Ravenscroft G, Laing NG, Nowak KJ. Systemic AAV8-mediated delivery of a functional copy of muscle glycogen phosphorylase (Pygm) ameliorates disease in a murine model of McArdle disease. Hum Mol Genet 2020; 29:20-30. [PMID: 31511858 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddz214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
McArdle disease is a disorder of carbohydrate metabolism that causes painful skeletal muscle cramps and skeletal muscle damage leading to transient myoglobinuria and increased risk of kidney failure. McArdle disease is caused by recessive mutations in the muscle glycogen phosphorylase (PYGM) gene leading to absence of PYGM enzyme in skeletal muscle and preventing access to energy from muscle glycogen stores. There is currently no cure for McArdle disease. Using a preclinical animal model, we aimed to identify a clinically translatable and relevant therapy for McArdle disease. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype 8 (rAAV8) to treat a murine model of McArdle disease via delivery of a functional copy of the disease-causing gene, Pygm. Intraperitoneal injection of rAAV8-Pygm at post-natal day 1-3 resulted in Pygm expression at 8 weeks of age, accompanied by improved skeletal muscle architecture, reduced accumulation of glycogen and restoration of voluntary running wheel activity to wild-type levels. We did not observe any adverse reaction to the treatment at 8 weeks post-injection. Thus, we have investigated a highly promising gene therapy for McArdle disease with a clear path to the ovine large animal model endemic to Western Australia and subsequently to patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elyshia L McNamara
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia.,Centre for Medical Research, University of Western Australia, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Rhonda L Taylor
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia.,Centre for Medical Research, University of Western Australia, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Joshua S Clayton
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia.,Centre for Medical Research, University of Western Australia, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Hayley Goullee
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia.,Centre for Medical Research, University of Western Australia, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Kimberley L Dilworth
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Vector and Genome Engineering Facility, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Tomàs Pinós
- Neuromuscular and Mitochondrial Disorders Laboratory, Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08035, Spain.,Biomedical Network Research Centre on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Astrid Brull
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM UMRS_974, Center of Research in Myology, Paris 75013, France
| | - 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, NSW 2145, Australia.,Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Leszek Lisowski
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Vector and Genome Engineering Facility, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia.,Translational Vectorology Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.,Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, The Biological Threats Identification and Countermeasure Centre, Puławy 24-100, Poland
| | - Gianina Ravenscroft
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia.,Centre for Medical Research, University of Western Australia, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Nigel G Laing
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia.,Centre for Medical Research, University of Western Australia, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Kristen J Nowak
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia.,Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia.,Public and Aboriginal Health Division, Western Australian Department of Health, Office of Population Health Genomics, East Perth, WA 6004, Australia
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Buscara L, Gross DA, Daniele N. Of rAAV and Men: From Genetic Neuromuscular Disorder Efficacy and Toxicity Preclinical Studies to Clinical Trials and Back. J Pers Med 2020; 10:E258. [PMID: 33260623 PMCID: PMC7768510 DOI: 10.3390/jpm10040258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuromuscular disorders are a large group of rare pathologies characterised by skeletal muscle atrophy and weakness, with the common involvement of respiratory and/or cardiac muscles. These diseases lead to life-long motor deficiencies and specific organ failures, and are, in their worst-case scenarios, life threatening. Amongst other causes, they can be genetically inherited through mutations in more than 500 different genes. In the last 20 years, specific pharmacological treatments have been approved for human usage. However, these "à-la-carte" therapies cover only a very small portion of the clinical needs and are often partially efficient in alleviating the symptoms of the disease, even less so in curing it. Recombinant adeno-associated virus vector-mediated gene transfer is a more general strategy that could be adapted for a large majority of these diseases and has proved very efficient in rescuing the symptoms in many neuropathological animal models. On this solid ground, several clinical trials are currently being conducted with the whole-body delivery of the therapeutic vectors. This review recapitulates the state-of-the-art tools for neuron and muscle-targeted gene therapy, and summarises the main findings of the spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and X-linked myotubular myopathy (XLMTM) trials. Despite promising efficacy results, serious adverse events of various severities were observed in these trials. Possible leads for second-generation products are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David-Alexandre Gross
- Genethon, 91000 Evry, France; (L.B.); (D.-A.G.)
- Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, Inserm, Genethon, Integrare Research Unit UMR_S951, 91000 Evry, France
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42
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Sztretye M, Szabó L, Dobrosi N, Fodor J, Szentesi P, Almássy J, Magyar ZÉ, Dienes B, Csernoch L. From Mice to Humans: An Overview of the Potentials and Limitations of Current Transgenic Mouse Models of Major Muscular Dystrophies and Congenital Myopathies. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21238935. [PMID: 33255644 PMCID: PMC7728138 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21238935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Muscular dystrophies are a group of more than 160 different human neuromuscular disorders characterized by a progressive deterioration of muscle mass and strength. The causes, symptoms, age of onset, severity, and progression vary depending on the exact time point of diagnosis and the entity. Congenital myopathies are rare muscle diseases mostly present at birth that result from genetic defects. There are no known cures for congenital myopathies; however, recent advances in gene therapy are promising tools in providing treatment. This review gives an overview of the mouse models used to investigate the most common muscular dystrophies and congenital myopathies with emphasis on their potentials and limitations in respect to human applications.
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43
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Wei W, Riley NM, Yang AC, Kim JT, Terrell SM, Li VL, Garcia-Contreras M, Bertozzi CR, Long JZ. Cell type-selective secretome profiling in vivo. Nat Chem Biol 2020; 17:326-334. [PMID: 33199915 PMCID: PMC7904581 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-020-00698-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Secreted polypeptides are a fundamental biochemical axis of intercellular and endocrine communication. However, a global understanding of composition and dynamics of cellular secretomes in intact mammalian organisms has been lacking. Here, we introduce a proximity biotinylation strategy that enables labeling, detection, and enrichment of secreted polypeptides in a cell type-selective manner in mice. We generate a proteomic atlas of hepatocyte, myocyte, pericyte, and myeloid cell secretomes by direct purification of biotinylated secreted proteins from blood plasma. Our secretome dataset validates known cell type-protein pairs, reveals secreted polypeptides that distinguish between cell types, and identifies new cellular sources for classical plasma proteins. Lastly, we uncover a dynamic and previously undescribed nutrient-dependent reprogramming of the hepatocyte secretome characterized by increased unconventional secretion of the cytosolic enzyme BHMT. This secretome profiling strategy enables dynamic and cell-type dissection of the plasma proteome and the secreted polypeptides that mediate intercellular signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wei
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.,Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Stanford ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Nicholas M Riley
- Stanford ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Andrew C Yang
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Joon T Kim
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.,Stanford ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Stephanie M Terrell
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.,Stanford ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Veronica L Li
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.,Stanford ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Marta Garcia-Contreras
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.,Stanford ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Carolyn R Bertozzi
- Stanford ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan Z Long
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA. .,Stanford ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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44
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Sun K, Lin H, Tang Y, Xiang S, Xue J, Yin W, Tan J, Peng H, Alexander PG, Tuan RS, Wang B. Injectable BMP-2 gene-activated scaffold for the repair of cranial bone defect in mice. Stem Cells Transl Med 2020; 9:1631-1642. [PMID: 32785966 PMCID: PMC7695643 DOI: 10.1002/sctm.19-0315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Tissue engineering using adult human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) seeded within biomaterial scaffolds has shown the potential to enhance bone healing. Recently, we have developed an injectable, biodegradable methacrylated gelatin‐based hydrogel, which was especially effective in producing scaffolds in situ and allowed the delivery of high viable stem cells and gene vehicles. The well‐demonstrated benefits of recombinant adeno‐associated viral (rAAV) vector, including long‐term gene transfer efficiency and relative safety, combination of gene and cell therapies has been developed in both basic and translational research to support future bone tissue regeneration clinical trials. In this study, we have critically assessed the applicability of single‐step visible light (VL) photocrosslinking fabrication of gelatin scaffold to deliver rAAV encoding human bone morphogenetic protein‐2 (BMP‐2) gene to address the need for sustained BMP‐2 presence localized within scaffolds for the repair of cranial bone defect in mouse model. In this method, rAAV‐BMP‐2 and human bone marrow‐derived MSCs (hBMSCs) were simultaneously included into gelatin scaffolds during scaffold formation by VL illumination. We demonstrated that the subsequent release of rAAV‐BMP‐2 constructs from the scaffold matrix, which resulted in efficient in situ expression of BMP‐2 gene by hBMSCs seeded within the scaffolds, and thus induced their osteogenic differentiation without the supplement of exogenous BMP‐2. The reparative capacity of this novel stem cell‐seeded and gene‐activated scaffolds was further confirmed in the cranial defect in the severe combined immunodeficiency mice, revealed by imaging, histology, and immunohistochemistry at 6 weeks after cranial defect treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Sun
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Hang Lin
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Ying Tang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Shiqi Xiang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jingwen Xue
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Weifeng Yin
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jian Tan
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Peter G Alexander
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Rocky S Tuan
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Bing Wang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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45
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Piekarowicz K, Bertrand AT, Azibani F, Beuvin M, Julien L, Machowska M, Bonne G, Rzepecki R. A Muscle Hybrid Promoter as a Novel Tool for Gene Therapy. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2019; 15:157-169. [PMID: 31660418 PMCID: PMC6807297 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2019.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Gene therapy is a promising strategy to cure rare diseases. The lack of regulatory sequences ensuring specific and robust expression in skeletal and cardiac muscle is a substantial limitation of gene therapy efficiency targeting the muscle tissue. Here we describe a novel muscle hybrid (MH) promoter that is highly active in both skeletal and cardiac muscle cells. It has an easily exchangeable modular structure, including an intronic module that highly enhances the expression of the gene driven by it. In cultured myoblasts, myotubes, and cardiomyocytes, the MH promoter gives relatively stable expression as well as higher activity and protein levels than the standard CMV and desmin gene promoters or the previously developed synthetic or CKM-based promoters. Combined with AAV2/9, the MH promoter also provides a high in vivo expression level in skeletal muscle and the heart after both intramuscular and systemic delivery. It is much more efficient than the desmin-encoding gene promoter, and it maintains the same specificity. This novel promoter has potential for gene therapy in muscle cells. It can provide stable transgene expression, ensuring high levels of therapeutic protein, and limited side effects because of its specificity. This constitutes an improvement in the efficiency of genetic disease therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Piekarowicz
- Laboratory of Nuclear Proteins, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw 50-383, Poland
| | - Anne T Bertrand
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM UMRS974, Center of Research in Myology, Institute of Myology, Paris 75 651, France
| | - Feriel Azibani
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM UMRS974, Center of Research in Myology, Institute of Myology, Paris 75 651, France
| | - Maud Beuvin
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM UMRS974, Center of Research in Myology, Institute of Myology, Paris 75 651, France
| | - Laura Julien
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM UMRS974, Center of Research in Myology, Institute of Myology, Paris 75 651, France
| | - Magdalena Machowska
- Laboratory of Nuclear Proteins, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw 50-383, Poland
| | - Gisèle Bonne
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM UMRS974, Center of Research in Myology, Institute of Myology, Paris 75 651, France
| | - Ryszard Rzepecki
- Laboratory of Nuclear Proteins, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw 50-383, Poland
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46
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Meyers TA, Townsend D. Cardiac Pathophysiology and the Future of Cardiac Therapies in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E4098. [PMID: 31443395 PMCID: PMC6747383 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20174098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a devastating disease featuring skeletal muscle wasting, respiratory insufficiency, and cardiomyopathy. Historically, respiratory failure has been the leading cause of mortality in DMD, but recent improvements in symptomatic respiratory management have extended the life expectancy of DMD patients. With increased longevity, the clinical relevance of heart disease in DMD is growing, as virtually all DMD patients over 18 year of age display signs of cardiomyopathy. This review will focus on the pathophysiological basis of DMD in the heart and discuss the therapeutic approaches currently in use and those in development to treat dystrophic cardiomyopathy. The first section will describe the aspects of the DMD that result in the loss of cardiac tissue and accumulation of fibrosis. The second section will discuss cardiac small molecule therapies currently used to treat heart disease in DMD, with a focus on the evidence supporting the use of each drug in dystrophic patients. The final section will outline the strengths and limitations of approaches directed at correcting the genetic defect through dystrophin gene replacement, modification, or repair. There are several new and promising therapeutic approaches that may protect the dystrophic heart, but their limitations suggest that future management of dystrophic cardiomyopathy may benefit from combining gene-targeted therapies with small molecule therapies. Understanding the mechanistic basis of dystrophic heart disease and the effects of current and emerging therapies will be critical for their success in the treatment of patients with DMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatyana A Meyers
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - DeWayne Townsend
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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47
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Domenger C, Grimm D. Next-generation AAV vectors—do not judge a virus (only) by its cover. Hum Mol Genet 2019; 28:R3-R14. [DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddz148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Revised: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractRecombinant adeno-associated viruses (AAV) are under intensive investigation in numerous clinical trials after they have emerged as a highly promising vector for human gene therapy. Best exemplifying their power and potential is the authorization of three gene therapy products based on wild-type AAV serotypes, comprising Glybera (AAV1), Luxturna (AAV2) and, most recently, Zolgensma (AAV9). Nonetheless, it has also become evident that the current AAV vector generation will require improvements in transduction potency, antibody evasion and cell/tissue specificity to allow the use of lower and safer vector doses. To this end, others and we devoted substantial previous research to the implementation and application of key technologies for engineering of next-generation viral capsids in a high-throughput ‘top-down’ or (semi-)rational ‘bottom-up’ approach. Here, we describe a set of recent complementary strategies to enhance features of AAV vectors that act on the level of the recombinant cargo. As examples that illustrate the innovative and synergistic concepts that have been reported lately, we highlight (i) novel synthetic enhancers/promoters that provide an unprecedented degree of AAV tissue specificity, (ii) pioneering genetic circuit designs that harness biological (microRNAs) or physical (light) triggers as regulators of AAV gene expression and (iii) new insights into the role of AAV DNA structures on vector genome stability, integrity and functionality. Combined with ongoing capsid engineering and selection efforts, these and other state-of-the-art innovations and investigations promise to accelerate the arrival of the next generation of AAV vectors and to solidify the unique role of this exciting virus in human gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Domenger
- Department of Infectious Diseases/Virology, Heidelberg University Hospital, BioQuant Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dirk Grimm
- Department of Infectious Diseases/Virology, Heidelberg University Hospital, BioQuant Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) and German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Heidelberg, Germany
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48
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Wei Y, Chen Y, Qiu Y, Zhao H, Liu G, Zhang Y, Meng Q, Wu G, Chen Y, Cai X, Wang H, Ying H, Zhou B, Liu M, Li D, Ding Q. Prevention of Muscle Wasting by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated Disruption of Myostatin In Vivo. Mol Ther 2018; 24:1889-1891. [PMID: 27916995 DOI: 10.1038/mt.2016.192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yuda Wei
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Metabolism, Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Yanhao Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Metabolism, Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Yan Qiu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Metabolism, Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Huan Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Metabolism, Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Gaigai Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Metabolism, Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Yongxian Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Metabolism, Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Qingyang Meng
- Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Guohao Wu
- Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Yixiong Chen
- Hanbio Research Center, Hanbio Co. Ltd., Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Xiaolong Cai
- Hanbio Research Center, Hanbio Co. Ltd., Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Hui Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Food Safety Research, Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Hao Ying
- CAS Key Laboratory of Food Safety Research, Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Bin Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Metabolism, Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Mingyao Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Dali Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiurong Ding
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Metabolism, Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, P.R. China.
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49
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Vinel C, Lukjanenko L, Batut A, Deleruyelle S, Pradère JP, Le Gonidec S, Dortignac A, Geoffre N, Pereira O, Karaz S, Lee U, Camus M, Chaoui K, Mouisel E, Bigot A, Mouly V, Vigneau M, Pagano AF, Chopard A, Pillard F, Guyonnet S, Cesari M, Burlet-Schiltz O, Pahor M, Feige JN, Vellas B, Valet P, Dray C. The exerkine apelin reverses age-associated sarcopenia. Nat Med 2018; 24:1360-1371. [PMID: 30061698 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-018-0131-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 212] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Sarcopenia, the degenerative loss of skeletal muscle mass, quality and strength, lacks early diagnostic tools and new therapeutic strategies to prevent the frailty-to-disability transition often responsible for the medical institutionalization of elderly individuals. Herein we report that production of the endogenous peptide apelin, induced by muscle contraction, is reduced in an age-dependent manner in humans and rodents and is positively associated with the beneficial effects of exercise in older persons. Mice deficient in either apelin or its receptor (APLNR) presented dramatic alterations in muscle function with increasing age. Various strategies that restored apelin signaling during aging further demonstrated that this peptide considerably enhanced muscle function by triggering mitochondriogenesis, autophagy and anti-inflammatory pathways in myofibers as well as enhancing the regenerative capacity by targeting muscle stem cells. Taken together, these findings revealed positive regulatory feedback between physical activity, apelin and muscle function and identified apelin both as a tool for diagnosis of early sarcopenia and as the target of an innovative pharmacological strategy to prevent age-associated muscle weakness and restore physical autonomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Vinel
- Institut des Maladies Métaboliques et Cardiovasculaires, INSERM U1048, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Laura Lukjanenko
- Aging Department, Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences SA, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne Innovation Park, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Aurelie Batut
- Institut des Maladies Métaboliques et Cardiovasculaires, INSERM U1048, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Simon Deleruyelle
- Institut des Maladies Métaboliques et Cardiovasculaires, INSERM U1048, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Jean-Philippe Pradère
- Institut des Maladies Métaboliques et Cardiovasculaires, INSERM U1048, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Sophie Le Gonidec
- Institut des Maladies Métaboliques et Cardiovasculaires, INSERM U1048, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Alizée Dortignac
- Institut des Maladies Métaboliques et Cardiovasculaires, INSERM U1048, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Nancy Geoffre
- Institut des Maladies Métaboliques et Cardiovasculaires, INSERM U1048, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Ophelie Pereira
- Institut des Maladies Métaboliques et Cardiovasculaires, INSERM U1048, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Sonia Karaz
- Aging Department, Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences SA, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne Innovation Park, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Umji Lee
- Aging Department, Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences SA, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne Innovation Park, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mylène Camus
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale-CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Karima Chaoui
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale-CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Etienne Mouisel
- Institut des Maladies Métaboliques et Cardiovasculaires, INSERM U1048, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Anne Bigot
- Institut de Myologie, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris 6 UM76, Univ. Paris 6/U974, UMR7215, CNRS, Pitié-Salpétrière-INSERM, UMRS 974, Paris, France
| | - Vincent Mouly
- Institut de Myologie, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris 6 UM76, Univ. Paris 6/U974, UMR7215, CNRS, Pitié-Salpétrière-INSERM, UMRS 974, Paris, France
| | - Mathieu Vigneau
- Institut des Technologies Avancées en Science du Vivant-USR3505 Centre Pierre Potier, Toulouse, France
| | - Allan F Pagano
- Université de Montpellier, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, UMR866 Dynamique Musculaire et Métabolisme, Montpellier, France
| | - Angèle Chopard
- Université de Montpellier, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, UMR866 Dynamique Musculaire et Métabolisme, Montpellier, France
| | - Fabien Pillard
- Institut des Maladies Métaboliques et Cardiovasculaires, INSERM U1048, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Matteo Cesari
- Gérontopole Toulouse-Purpan UMR 1027, Toulouse, France
| | - Odile Burlet-Schiltz
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale-CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Marco Pahor
- Institute on Aging, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jerome N Feige
- Aging Department, Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences SA, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne Innovation Park, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bruno Vellas
- Gérontopole Toulouse-Purpan UMR 1027, Toulouse, France
| | - Philippe Valet
- Institut des Maladies Métaboliques et Cardiovasculaires, INSERM U1048, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Cedric Dray
- Institut des Maladies Métaboliques et Cardiovasculaires, INSERM U1048, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France.
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50
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Duan D. Systemic AAV Micro-dystrophin Gene Therapy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Mol Ther 2018; 26:2337-2356. [PMID: 30093306 PMCID: PMC6171037 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2018.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 287] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Revised: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a lethal muscle disease caused by dystrophin gene mutation. Conceptually, replacing the mutated gene with a normal one would cure the disease. However, this task has encountered significant challenges due to the enormous size of the gene and the distribution of muscle throughout the body. The former creates a hurdle for viral vector packaging and the latter begs for whole-body therapy. To address these obstacles, investigators have invented the highly abbreviated micro-dystrophin gene and developed body-wide systemic gene transfer with adeno-associated virus (AAV). Numerous microgene configurations and various AAV serotypes have been explored in animal models in many laboratories. Preclinical data suggests that intravascular AAV micro-dystrophin delivery can significantly ameliorate muscle pathology, enhance muscle force, and attenuate dystrophic cardiomyopathy in animals. Against this backdrop, several clinical trials have been initiated to test the safety and tolerability of this promising therapy in DMD patients. While these trials are not powered to reach a conclusion on clinical efficacy, findings will inform the field on the prospects of body-wide DMD therapy with a synthetic micro-dystrophin AAV vector. This review discusses the history, current status, and future directions of systemic AAV micro-dystrophin therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongsheng Duan
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA; Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA.
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