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Cui X, Guo J, Yuan P, Dai Y, Du P, Yu F, Sun Z, Zhang J, Cheng K, Tang J. Bioderived Nanoparticles for Cardiac Repair. ACS NANO 2024; 18:24622-24649. [PMID: 39185722 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c07878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
Biobased therapy represents a promising strategy for myocardial repair. However, the limitations of using live cells, including the risk of immunogenicity of allogeneic cells and inconsistent therapeutic efficacy of autologous cells together with low stability, result in an unsatisfactory clinical outcomes. Therefore, cell-free strategies for cardiac tissue repair have been proposed as alternative strategies. Cell-free strategies, primarily based on the paracrine effects of cellular therapy, have demonstrated their potential to inhibit apoptosis, reduce inflammation, and promote on-site cell migration and proliferation, as well as angiogenesis, after an infarction and have been explored preclinically and clinically. Among various cell-free modalities, bioderived nanoparticles, including adeno-associated virus (AAV), extracellular vesicles, cell membrane-coated nanoparticles, and exosome-mimetic nanovesicles, have emerged as promising strategies due to their improved biological function and therapeutic effect. The main focus of this review is the development of existing cellular nanoparticles and their fundamental working mechanisms, as well as the challenges and opportunities. The key processes and requirements for cardiac tissue repair are summarized first. Various cellular nanoparticle modalities are further highlighted, together with their advantages and limitations. Finally, we discuss various delivery approaches that offer potential pathways for researchers and clinicians to translate cell-free strategies for cardiac tissue repair into clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolin Cui
- Cardiac and Osteochondral Tissue Engineering (COTE) Group, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Jiacheng Guo
- Department of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Key Laboratory of Cardiac Injury and Repair of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Peiyu Yuan
- Department of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Key Laboratory of Cardiac Injury and Repair of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Yichen Dai
- Cardiac and Osteochondral Tissue Engineering (COTE) Group, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Pengchong Du
- Department of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Key Laboratory of Cardiac Injury and Repair of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Fengyi Yu
- Department of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Key Laboratory of Cardiac Injury and Repair of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Zhaowei Sun
- Department of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Key Laboratory of Cardiac Injury and Repair of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Jinying Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Key Laboratory of Cardiac Injury and Repair of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Ke Cheng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Junnan Tang
- Department of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Key Laboratory of Cardiac Injury and Repair of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
- Henan Province Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
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2
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Lu J, Meng J, Wu G, Wei W, Xie H, Liu Y. Th1 cells reduce the osteoblast-like phenotype in valvular interstitial cells by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation in macrophages. Mol Med 2024; 30:110. [PMID: 39080527 PMCID: PMC11287975 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-024-00882-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Inflammation is initiates the propagation phase of aortic valve calcification. The activation of NLRP3 signaling in macrophages plays a crucial role in the progression of calcific aortic valve stenosis (CAVS). IFN-γ regulates NLRP3 activity in macrophages. This study aimed to explore the mechanism of IFN-γ regulation and its impact on CAVS progression and valve interstitial cell transdifferentiation. METHODS AND RESULTS The number of Th1 cells and the expression of IFN-γ and STAT1 in the aortic valve, spleen and peripheral blood increased significantly as CAVS progressed. To explore the mechanisms underlying the roles of Th1 cells and IFN-γ, we treated CAVS mice with IFN-γ-AAV9 or an anti-IFN-γ neutralizing antibody. While IFN-γ promoted aortic valve calcification and dysfunction, it significantly decreased NLRP3 signaling in splenic macrophages and Ly6C+ monocytes. In vitro coculture showed that Th1 cells inhibited NLPR3 activation in ox-LDL-treated macrophages through the IFN-γR1/IFN-γR2-STAT1 pathway. Compared with untreated medium, conditioned medium from Th1-treated bone marrow-derived macrophages reduced the osteogenic calcification of valvular interstitial cells. CONCLUSION Inhibition of the NLRP3 inflammasome by Th1 cells protects against valvular interstitial cell calcification as a negative feedback mechanism of adaptive immunity toward innate immunity. This study provides a precision medicine strategy for CAVS based on the targeting of anti-inflammatory mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Lu
- The First Clinical Medical College, Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Shuangyong Road 22, Nanning, 530021, P.R. China
| | - Jiaming Meng
- Department of Cardiology, Liuzhou People's Hospital, Guangxi, Zhuang Autonomous Region, Wenchang Road 8, Liuzhou, 545000, P.R. China
| | - Gang Wu
- Department of Cardiology, Liuzhou People's Hospital, Guangxi, Zhuang Autonomous Region, Wenchang Road 8, Liuzhou, 545000, P.R. China
| | - Wulong Wei
- Department of Cardiology, Liuzhou People's Hospital, Guangxi, Zhuang Autonomous Region, Wenchang Road 8, Liuzhou, 545000, P.R. China
| | - Huabao Xie
- The First Clinical Medical College, Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Shuangyong Road 22, Nanning, 530021, P.R. China.
| | - Yanli Liu
- Department of Cardiology, Liuzhou People's Hospital, Guangxi, Zhuang Autonomous Region, Wenchang Road 8, Liuzhou, 545000, P.R. China.
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3
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Kepreotis SV, Oh JG, Park M, Yoo J, Lee C, Mercola M, Hajjar RJ, Jeong D. Inhibition of miR-25 ameliorates cardiac and skeletal muscle dysfunction in aged mdx/utrn haploinsufficient (+/-) mice. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2024; 35:102174. [PMID: 38584818 PMCID: PMC10998245 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2024.102174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Dystrophic cardiomyopathy is a significant feature of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Increased cardiomyocyte cytosolic calcium (Ca2+) and interstitial fibrosis are major pathophysiological hallmarks that ultimately result in cardiac dysfunction. MicroRNA-25 (miR-25) has been identified as a suppressor of both sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase 2a (SERCA2a) and mothers against decapentaplegic homolog-7 (Smad7) proteins. In this study, we created a gene transfer using an miR-25 tough decoy (TuD) RNA inhibitor delivered via recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9) to evaluate the effect of miR-25 inhibition on cardiac and skeletal muscle function in aged dystrophin/utrophin haploinsufficient mice mdx/utrn (+/-), a validated transgenic murine model of DMD. We found that the intravenous delivery of AAV9 miR-25 TuD resulted in strong and stable inhibition of cardiac miR-25 levels, together with the restoration of SERCA2a and Smad7 expression. This was associated with the amelioration of cardiomyocyte interstitial fibrosis as well as recovered cardiac function. Furthermore, the direct quadricep intramuscular injection of AAV9 miR-25 TuD significantly restored skeletal muscle Smad7 expression, reduced tissue fibrosis, and enhanced skeletal muscle performance in mdx/utrn (+/-) mice. These results imply that miR-25 TuD gene transfer may be a novel therapeutic approach to restore cardiomyocyte Ca2+ homeostasis and abrogate tissue fibrosis in DMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sacha V. Kepreotis
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, NY, USA
| | - Jae Gyun Oh
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, NY, USA
| | - Mina Park
- Department of Medicinal and Life Science, College of Science and Convergence Technology, Hanyang University-ERICA, Ansan, South Korea
| | - Jimeen Yoo
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, NY, USA
| | - Cholong Lee
- Department of Medicinal and Life Science, College of Science and Convergence Technology, Hanyang University-ERICA, Ansan, South Korea
| | - Mark Mercola
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Roger J. Hajjar
- Mass General Brigham Gene and Cell Therapy Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dongtak Jeong
- Department of Medicinal and Life Science, College of Science and Convergence Technology, Hanyang University-ERICA, Ansan, South Korea
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, NY, USA
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4
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Lampela J, Pajula J, Järveläinen N, Siimes S, Laham-Karam N, Kivelä A, Mushimiyimana I, Nurro J, Hartikainen J, Ylä-Herttuala S. Caridac vein retroinjections provide an efficient approach for global left ventricular gene transfer with adenovirus and adeno-associated virus. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1467. [PMID: 38233585 PMCID: PMC10794695 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51712-5] [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: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Heart failure (HF) is a major burden worldwide, and new therapies are urgently needed. Gene therapy is a promising new approach to treat myocardial diseases. However, current cardiac gene delivery methods for producing global myocardial effects have been inefficient. The aim of this study was to develop an endovascular, reproducible, and clinically applicable gene transfer method for global left ventricular (LV) transduction. Domestic pigs (n = 52) were used for the experiments. Global LV myocardium coverage was achieved by three retrograde injections into the three main LV vein branches. The distribution outcome was significantly improved by simultaneous transient occlusions of the corresponding coronary arteries and the main anastomotic veins of the retroinjected veins. The achieved cardiac distribution was visualized first by administering Indian Ink solution. Secondly, AdLacZ (2 × 1012vp) and AAV2-GFP (2 × 1013vg) gene transfers were performed to study gene transduction efficacy of the method. By retrograde injections with simultaneous coronary arterial occlusions, both adenovirus (Ad) and adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors were shown to deliver an efficient transduction of the LV. We conclude that retrograde injections into the three main LV veins is a potential new approach for a global LV gene transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaakko Lampela
- A.I.Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Juho Pajula
- A.I.Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Niko Järveläinen
- A.I.Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Satu Siimes
- 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
| | - Antti Kivelä
- Heart Hospital, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | - Isidore Mushimiyimana
- A.I.Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Jussi Nurro
- 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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5
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Nunez-Toldra R, Del Canizo A, Secco I, Nicastro L, Giacca M, Terracciano CM. Living myocardial slices for the study of nucleic acid-based therapies. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1275945. [PMID: 37941724 PMCID: PMC10628718 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1275945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene therapy based on viral vectors offers great potential for the study and the treatment of cardiac diseases. Here we explore the use of Living Myocardial Slices (LMS) as a platform for nucleic acid-based therapies. Rat LMS and Adeno-Associated viruses (AAV) were used to optimise and analyse gene transfer efficiency, viability, tissue functionality, and cell tropism in cardiac tissue. Human cardiac tissue from failing (dilated cardiomyopathy) hearts was also used to validate the model in a more translational setting. LMS were cultured at physiological sarcomere length for 72-h under electrical stimulation. Two recombinant AAV serotypes (AAV6 and AAV9) at different multiplicity of infection (MOI) expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) were added to the surface of rat LMS. AAV6 at 20,000 MOI proved to be the most suitable serotype without affecting LMS contractility or kinetics and showing high transduction and penetrability efficiency in rat LMS. This serotype exhibited 40% of transduction efficiency in cardiomyocytes and stromal cells while 20% of the endothelial cells were transduced. With great translational relevance, this protocol introduces the use of LMS as a model for nucleic acid-based therapies, allowing the acceleration of preclinical studies for cardiac diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Nunez-Toldra
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - A. Del Canizo
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - I. Secco
- King’s College London, School of Cardiovascular Medicine and Sciences, London, United Kingdom
| | - L. Nicastro
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - M. Giacca
- King’s College London, School of Cardiovascular Medicine and Sciences, London, United Kingdom
| | - C. M. Terracciano
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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6
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Shen Z, Li M, He F, Huang C, Zheng Y, Wang Z, Ma S, Chen L, Liu Z, Zheng H, Xiong F. Intravenous Administration of an AAV9 Vector Ubiquitously Expressing C1orf194 Gene Improved CMT-Like Neuropathy in C1orf194 -/- Mice. Neurotherapeutics 2023; 20:1835-1846. [PMID: 37843769 PMCID: PMC10684460 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-023-01429-6] [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] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, also known as hereditary motor sensory neuropathy, is a group of rare genetically heterogenous diseases characterized by progressive muscle weakness and atrophy, along with sensory deficits. Despite extensive pre-clinical and clinical research, no FDA-approved therapy is available for any CMT type. We previously identified C1ORF194, a novel causative gene for CMT, and found that both C1orf194 knock-in (I121N) and knockout mice developed clinical phenotypes similar to those in patients with CMT. Encouraging results of adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy have stimulated the use of AAVs as vehicles for CMT gene therapy. Here, we present a gene therapy approach to restore C1orf194 expression in a knockout background. We used C1orf194-/- mice treated with AAV serotype 9 (AAV9) vector carrying a codon-optimized WT human C1ORF194 cDNA whose expression was driven by a ubiquitously expressed chicken β-actin promoter with a CMV enhancer. Our preclinical evaluation demonstrated the efficacy of AAV-mediated gene therapy in improving sensory and motor abilities, thus achieving largely normal gross motor performance and minimal signs of neuropathy, on the basis of neurophysiological and histopathological evaluation in C1orf194-/- mice administered AAV gene therapy. Our findings advance the techniques for delivering therapeutic interventions to individuals with CMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongrui Shen
- Department of Medical Genetics, Experimental Education/Administration Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Meiyi Li
- Department of Medical Genetics, Experimental Education/Administration Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fei He
- Department of Medical Genetics, Experimental Education/Administration Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Cheng Huang
- Department of Medical Genetics, Experimental Education/Administration Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yingchun Zheng
- Department of Medical Genetics, Experimental Education/Administration Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhikui Wang
- Department of Medical Genetics, Experimental Education/Administration Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shunfei Ma
- Department of Medical Genetics, Experimental Education/Administration Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li Chen
- Department of Medical Genetics, Experimental Education/Administration Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhengshan Liu
- Division of Translational Neuroscience in Schizophrenia, Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Hui Zheng
- Department of Neurology, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Fu Xiong
- Department of Medical Genetics, Experimental Education/Administration Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Single Cell Technology and Application, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
- Department of Fetal Medicine and Prenatal Diagnosis, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
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7
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Zhang P, Li H, Zhang A, Wang X, Song Q, Li Z, Wang W, Xu J, Hou Y, Zhang Y. Mechanism of myocardial fibrosis regulation by IGF-1R in atrial fibrillation through the PI3K/Akt/FoxO3a pathway. Biochem Cell Biol 2023; 101:432-442. [PMID: 37018819 DOI: 10.1139/bcb-2022-0199] [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] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Atrial structural remodeling takes on a critical significance to the occurrence and maintenance of atrial fibrillation (AF). As revealed by recent data, insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) plays a certain role in tissue fibrosis. In this study, the mechanism of IGF-1R in atrial structural remodeling was examined based on in vivo and in vitro experiments. First, cluster analysis of AF hub genes was conducted, and then the molecular mechanism was proposed by which IGF-1R regulates myocardial fibrosis via the PI3K/Akt/FoxO3a pathway. Subsequently, the mentioned mechanism was verified in human cardiac fibroblasts (HCFs) and rats transduced with IGF-1 overexpression type 9 adeno-associated viruses. The results indicated that IGF-1R activation up-regulated collagen Ⅰ protein expression and Akt phosphorylation in HCFs and rat atrium. The administration of LY294002 reversed the above phenomenon, improved the shortening of atrial effective refractory period, and reduced the increased incidence of AF and atrial fibrosis in rats. The transfection of FoxO3a siRNA reduced the anti-fibrotic effect of LY294002 in HCFs. The above data revealed that activation of IGF-1R takes on a vital significance to atrial structural remodeling by facilitating myocardial fibrosis and expediting the occurrence and maintenance of AF through the regulation of the PI3K/Akt/FoxO3a signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital. Ji'nan City, Shandong Province, China
| | - Huilin Li
- Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University. Ji'nan City, Shandong Province, China
| | - An Zhang
- Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University. Ji'nan City, Shandong Province, China
| | - Xiao Wang
- Department of Health Management Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital. Ji'nan City, Shandong Province, China
| | - Qiyuan Song
- Shandong First Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University. Ji'nan City, Shandong Province, China
| | - Zhan Li
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital. Ji'nan City, Shandong Province, China
| | - Weizong Wang
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital. Ji'nan City, Shandong Province, China
| | - Jingwen Xu
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital. Ji'nan City, Shandong Province, China
| | - Yinglong Hou
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital. Ji'nan City, Shandong Province, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital. Ji'nan City, Shandong Province, China
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8
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Le Guiner C, Xiao X, Larcher T, Lafoux A, Huchet C, Toumaniantz G, Adjali O, Anegon I, Remy S, Grieger J, Li J, Farrokhi V, Neubert H, Owens J, McIntyre M, Moullier P, Samulski RJ. Evaluation of an AAV9-mini-dystrophin gene therapy candidate in a rat model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2023; 30:30-47. [PMID: 37746247 PMCID: PMC10512999 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2023.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked disease caused by loss-of-function mutations in the dystrophin gene and is characterized by muscle wasting and early mortality. Adeno-associated virus-mediated gene therapy is being investigated as a treatment for DMD. In the nonclinical study documented here, we determined the effective dose of fordadistrogene movaparvovec, a clinical candidate adeno-associated virus serotype 9 vector carrying a human mini-dystrophin transgene, after single intravenous injection in a dystrophin-deficient (DMDmdx) rat model of DMD. Overall, we found that transduction efficiency, number of muscle fibers expressing the human mini-dystrophin polypeptide, improvement of the skeletal and cardiac muscle tissue architecture, correction of muscle strength and fatigability, and improvement of diastolic and systolic cardiac function were directly correlated with the amount of vector administered. The effective dose was then tested in older DMDmdx rats with a more dystrophic phenotype similar to the pathology observed in older patients with DMD. Except for a less complete rescue of muscle function in the oldest cohort, fordadistrogene movaparvovec was also found to be therapeutically effective in older DMDmdx rats, suggesting that this product may be appropriate for evaluation in patients with DMD at all stages of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Le Guiner
- Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, INSERM, TaRGeT, UMR 1089, Translational Research for Gene Therapies, 44200 Nantes, France
| | - Xiao Xiao
- Gene Therapy Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7352, USA
| | | | - Aude Lafoux
- Therassay Platform, Capacités, Nantes Université, 44007 Nantes, France
| | - Corinne Huchet
- Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, INSERM, TaRGeT, UMR 1089, Translational Research for Gene Therapies, 44200 Nantes, France
- Therassay Platform, Capacités, Nantes Université, 44007 Nantes, France
| | - Gilles Toumaniantz
- Therassay Platform, Capacités, Nantes Université, 44007 Nantes, France
- Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, CNRS, L’Institut du Thorax, 44007 Nantes, France
| | - Oumeya Adjali
- Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, INSERM, TaRGeT, UMR 1089, Translational Research for Gene Therapies, 44200 Nantes, France
| | - Ignacio Anegon
- Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, INSERM, Center for Research in Transplantation and Translational Immunology, UMR 1064, ITUN, 44093 Nantes, France
| | - Séverine Remy
- Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, INSERM, Center for Research in Transplantation and Translational Immunology, UMR 1064, ITUN, 44093 Nantes, France
| | - Josh Grieger
- Bamboo Therapeutics, Pfizer, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA
| | - Juan Li
- Gene Therapy Center, Eshelman School of Pharmacy DPMP, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7352, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Philippe Moullier
- Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, INSERM, TaRGeT, UMR 1089, Translational Research for Gene Therapies, 44200 Nantes, France
| | - R. Jude Samulski
- Gene Therapy Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7352, USA
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9
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Balakrishnan B, Altassan R, Budhraja R, Liou W, Lupo A, Bryant S, Mankouski A, Radenkovic S, Preston GJ, Pandey A, Boudina S, Kozicz T, Morava E, Lai K. AAV-based gene therapy prevents and halts the progression of dilated cardiomyopathy in a mouse model of phosphoglucomutase 1 deficiency (PGM1-CDG). Transl Res 2023; 257:1-14. [PMID: 36709920 PMCID: PMC10192047 DOI: 10.1016/j.trsl.2023.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Phosphoglucomutase 1 (PGM1) deficiency is recognized as the third most common N-linked congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG) in humans. Affected individuals present with liver, musculoskeletal, endocrine, and coagulation symptoms; however, the most life-threatening complication is the early onset of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Recently, we discovered that oral D-galactose supplementation improved liver disease, endocrine, and coagulation abnormalities, but does not alleviate the fatal cardiomyopathy and the associated myopathy. Here we report on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in 6 individuals with PGM1-CDG. LVEF was pathologically low in most of these individuals and varied between 10% and 65%. To study the pathobiology of the cardiac disease observed in PGM1-CDG, we constructed a novel cardiomyocyte-specific conditional Pgm2 gene (mouse ortholog of human PGM1) knockout (Pgm2 cKO) mouse model. Echocardiography studies corroborated a DCM phenotype with significantly reduced ejection fraction and left ventricular dilation similar to those seen in individuals with PGM1-CDG. Histological studies demonstrated excess glycogen accumulation and fibrosis, while ultrastructural analysis revealed Z-disk disarray and swollen/fragmented mitochondria, which was similar to the ultrastructural pathology in the cardiac explant of an individual with PGM1-CDG. In addition, we found decreased mitochondrial function in the heart of KO mice. Transcriptomic analysis of hearts from mutant mice demonstrated a gene signature of DCM. Although proteomics revealed only mild changes in global protein expression in left ventricular tissue of mutant mice, a glycoproteomic analysis unveiled broad glycosylation changes with significant alterations in sarcolemmal proteins including different subunits of laminin-211, which was confirmed by immunoblot analyses. Finally, augmentation of PGM1 in KO mice via AAV9-PGM1 gene replacement therapy prevented and halted the progression of the DCM phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bijina Balakrishnan
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Ruqaiah Altassan
- Department of Medical Genomics, Centre for Genomic Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rohit Budhraja
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Willisa Liou
- Electron Microscopy Core Facility, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Arielle Lupo
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Sarah Bryant
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Anastasiya Mankouski
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Silvia Radenkovic
- Department of Clinical Genomics, Center of Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Graeme J Preston
- Department of Clinical Genomics, Center of Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Akhilesh Pandey
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA; Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Sihem Boudina
- Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, College of Health, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Tamas Kozicz
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA; Department of Clinical Genomics, Center of Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA; Department of Anatomy, University of Pecs School of Medicine, Pecs, Hungary
| | - Eva Morava
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA; Department of Clinical Genomics, Center of Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA; Department of Medical Genetics, University of Pecs, School of Medicine, Pecs, Hungary
| | - Kent Lai
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, College of Health, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
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10
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Bilal AS, Parker SN, Murray VB, MacDonnell LF, Thuerauf DJ, Glembotski CC, Blackwood EA. Optimization of Large-Scale Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) Production. Curr Protoc 2023; 3:e757. [PMID: 37166238 PMCID: PMC10188212 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Genetic manipulation in vivo is a critical method for mechanistically understanding gene function in disease and physiological processes. To facilitate this, embryonic transgenesis in popular animal models like mice has been developed. Compared to the longer, expensive methods of transgenesis, viral vectors, such as adeno-associated virus (AAV), have grown increasingly in popularity due to their relatively low cost and ease of production, translating to an overall greater versatility as a biological tool. In this article, we describe protocols for AAV production and purification for efficient transduction in vivo. Importantly, our method differs from others in application of a streamlined, more cost-effective approach. From this method, as many as 2 × 1013 genome-containing viral particles (vp), or 200 units, can be produced within 3 to 4 weeks, with a minimal cost of $1800 to $2000 for supplies and reagents and <15 hr of personnel time per week. A unit here is defined as 1 × 1011 vp, our standard dose of AAV per animal, injected via tail vein. Therefore, our method provides production and purification of AAV in quantities capable of transducing up to 200 animals. © 2023 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: AAV production Basic Protocol 2: AAV purification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina S Bilal
- University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix, 475 N 5 St Phoenix, AZ 85004
| | - Sarah N Parker
- University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix, 475 N 5 St Phoenix, AZ 85004
| | - Victoria B Murray
- University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix, 475 N 5 St Phoenix, AZ 85004
| | - Lauren F MacDonnell
- University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix, 475 N 5 St Phoenix, AZ 85004
| | | | | | - Erik A Blackwood
- University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix, 475 N 5 St Phoenix, AZ 85004
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11
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Issa SS, Shaimardanova AA, Solovyeva VV, Rizvanov AA. Various AAV Serotypes and Their Applications in Gene Therapy: An Overview. Cells 2023; 12:cells12050785. [PMID: 36899921 PMCID: PMC10000783 DOI: 10.3390/cells12050785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 56.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite scientific discoveries in the field of gene and cell therapy, some diseases still have no effective treatment. Advances in genetic engineering methods have enabled the development of effective gene therapy methods for various diseases based on adeno-associated viruses (AAVs). Today, many AAV-based gene therapy medications are being investigated in preclinical and clinical trials, and new ones are appearing on the market. In this article, we present a review of AAV discovery, properties, different serotypes, and tropism, and a following detailed explanation of their uses in gene therapy for disease of different organs and systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaza S. Issa
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, St. Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alisa A. Shaimardanova
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, 420008 Kazan, Russia
| | - Valeriya V. Solovyeva
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, 420008 Kazan, Russia
| | - Albert A. Rizvanov
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, 420008 Kazan, Russia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +7-(905)-3167599
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12
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Zaman H, Khan A, Khan K, Toheed S, Abdullah M, Zeeshan HM, Hameed A, Umar M, Shahid M, Malik K, Afzal S. Adeno-Associated Virus-Mediated Gene Therapy. Crit Rev Eukaryot Gene Expr 2023; 33:87-100. [PMID: 37522547 DOI: 10.1615/critreveukaryotgeneexpr.2023048135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Choice of vector is the most critical step in gene therapy. Adeno-associated viruses (AAV); third generation vectors, are getting much attention of scientists to be used as vehicles due to their non-pathogenicity, excellent safety profile, low immune responses, great efficiency to transduce non-dividing cells, large capacity to transfer genetic material and long-term expression of genetic payload. AAVs have multiple serotypes and each serotype shows tropism for a specific cell. Different serotypes are used to target liver, lungs, muscles, retina, heart, CNS, kidneys, etc. Furthermore, AAV based gene therapies have tremendous marketing applications that can be perfectly incorporated in the anticipated sites of the host target genome resulting in life long expression of transgenes. Some therapeutic products use AAV vectors that are used to treat lipoprotein lipase deficiency (LPLD) and it is injected intramuscularly, to treat mutated retinal pigment epithelium RPE65 (RPE65) that is introduced to subretinal space, an intravenous infusion to treat spinal muscular atrophy and rAAV2-CFTR vector is introduced into nasal epithelial cells to treat cystic fibrosis. AAV therapies and other such interdisciplinary methodologies can create the miracles for the generation of precision gene therapies for the treatment of most serious and sometimes fatal disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Zaman
- Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Aakif Khan
- Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Khalid Khan
- Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Shazma Toheed
- Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Abdullah
- Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | | | - Abdul Hameed
- Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Umar
- Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Shahid
- Division of Molecular Virology and Infectious Diseases, Center of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), 87-West Canal Bank Road Thokar Niaz Baig, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Kausar Malik
- Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Samia Afzal
- Center of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), 87-West Canal Bank Road Thokar Niaz Baig, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
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13
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Dave J, Raad N, Mittal N, Zhang L, Fargnoli A, Oh JG, Savoia ME, Hansen J, Fava M, Yin X, Theofilatos K, Ceholski D, Kohlbrenner E, Jeong D, Wills L, Nonnenmacher M, Haghighi K, Costa KD, Turnbull IC, Mayr M, Cai CL, Kranias EG, Akar FG, Hajjar RJ, Stillitano F. Gene editing reverses arrhythmia susceptibility in humanized PLN-R14del mice: modelling a European cardiomyopathy with global impact. Cardiovasc Res 2022; 118:3140-3150. [PMID: 35191471 PMCID: PMC9732517 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvac021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS A mutation in the phospholamban (PLN) gene, leading to deletion of Arg14 (R14del), has been associated with malignant arrhythmias and ventricular dilation. Identifying pre-symptomatic carriers with vulnerable myocardium is crucial because arrhythmia can result in sudden cardiac death, especially in young adults with PLN-R14del mutation. This study aimed at assessing the efficiency and efficacy of in vivo genome editing, using CRISPR/Cas9 and a cardiotropic adeno-associated virus-9 (AAV9), in improving cardiac function in young adult mice expressing the human PLN-R14del. METHODS AND RESULTS Humanized mice were generated expressing human wild-type (hPLN-WT) or mutant (hPLN-R14del) PLN in the heterozygous state, mimicking human carriers. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging at 12 weeks of age showed bi-ventricular dilation and increased stroke volume in mutant vs. WT mice, with no deficit in ejection fraction or cardiac output. Challenge of ex vivo hearts with isoproterenol and rapid pacing unmasked higher propensity for sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) in hPLN-R14del relative to hPLN-WT. Specifically, the VT threshold was significantly reduced (20.3 ± 1.2 Hz in hPLN-R14del vs. 25.7 ± 1.3 Hz in WT, P < 0.01) reflecting higher arrhythmia burden. To inactivate the R14del allele, mice were tail-vein-injected with AAV9.CRISPR/Cas9/gRNA or AAV9 empty capsid (controls). CRISPR-Cas9 efficiency was evaluated by droplet digital polymerase chain reaction and NGS-based amplicon sequencing. In vivo gene editing significantly reduced end-diastolic and stroke volumes in hPLN-R14del CRISPR-treated mice compared to controls. Susceptibility to VT was also reduced, as the VT threshold was significantly increased relative to controls (30.9 ± 2.3 Hz vs. 21.3 ± 1.5 Hz; P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS This study is the first to show that disruption of hPLN-R14del allele by AAV9-CRISPR/Cas9 improves cardiac function and reduces VT susceptibility in humanized PLN-R14del mice, offering preclinical evidence for translatable approaches to therapeutically suppress the arrhythmogenic phenotype in human patients with PLN-R14del disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaydev Dave
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nour Raad
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nishka Mittal
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lu Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, Riley Heart Research Center, Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Anthony Fargnoli
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jae Gyun Oh
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Jens Hansen
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences and Institute for Systems Biomedicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marika Fava
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Xiaoke Yin
- King’s British Heart Foundation Centre, King’s College London, London, UK
| | | | - Delaine Ceholski
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Erik Kohlbrenner
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dongtak Jeong
- Department of Molecular & Life Science, College of Science and Convergence Technology, Hanyang University-ERICA, Ansan-si, South Korea
| | - Lauren Wills
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mathieu Nonnenmacher
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kobra Haghighi
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Kevin D Costa
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Irene C Turnbull
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Manuel Mayr
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- King’s British Heart Foundation Centre, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Chen-Leng Cai
- Department of Pediatrics, Riley Heart Research Center, Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Evangelia G Kranias
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Fadi G Akar
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Francesca Stillitano
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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14
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Katz MG, Hadas Y, Bailey RA, Fazal S, Vincek A, Madjarova SJ, Shtraizent N, Vandenberghe LH, Eliyahu E. Efficient cardiac gene transfer and early-onset expression of a synthetic adeno-associated viral vector, Anc80L65, after intramyocardial administration. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2022; 164:e429-e443. [PMID: 34985414 PMCID: PMC8733395 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2021.05.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Gene therapy is a promising approach in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated that adeno-associated viral vectors are the most attractive vehicles for gene transfer. However, preexisting immunity, delayed gene expression, and postinfection immune response limit the success of this technology. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of the first synthetic adeno-associated viral lineage clone, Anc80L65, for cardiac gene therapy. METHODS By combining 2 different reporter approaches by fluorescence with green fluorescent protein and bioluminescence (Firefly luciferase), we compared transduction efficiency of Anc80L65 and adeno-associated virus, serotype 9 in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes ex vivo and rat hearts in vivo after intramyocardial and intracoronary administration. RESULTS In cardiomyocytes, Anc80L65 provided a green fluorescent protein expression of 28.9% (36.4 ± 3.34 cells/field) at 24 hours and approximately 100% on day 7. In contrast, adeno-associated virus, serotype 9 green fluorescent protein provided minimal green fluorescent protein expression of 5.64% at 24 hours and 11.8% on day 7. After intramyocardial injection, vector expression peaked on day 7 with Anc80L65; however, with adeno-associated virus, serotype 9 the peak expression was during week 6. Administration of Anc80L65 demonstrated significantly more efficient expression of reporter gene than after adeno-associated virus, serotype 9 at 6 weeks (6.81 ± 0.64 log10 gc/100 ng DNA vs 6.49 ± 0.28 log10 gc/100 ng DNA, P < .05). These results were consistent with the amount of genome copy per cell observed in the heart. CONCLUSIONS Anc80L65 vector allows fast and robust gene transduction compared with adeno-associated virus, serotype 9 vector in cardiac gene therapy. Anc80L65 did not adversely affect cardiac function and caused no inflammatory response or toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Katz
- Department of Cardiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY.
| | - Yoav Hadas
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Rasheed A Bailey
- Department of Cardiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Shahood Fazal
- Department of Cardiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Adam Vincek
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | | | | | - Luk H Vandenberghe
- Grousbeck Center of Gene Therapy, Ocular Genomics Institute, Mass Eye and Ear, Boston, Mass; Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass; The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Mass
| | - Efrat Eliyahu
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY; Icahn School for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
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15
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Hu H, Wang L, Li H, Li H, Chen X, Peng W, Wang J, Zhao Y, Liu M, Li D. Long-term amelioration of an early-onset familial atrial fibrillation model with AAV-mediated in vivo gene therapy. FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 2:829-835. [PMID: 38933375 PMCID: PMC11197581 DOI: 10.1016/j.fmre.2022.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common cardiac disease with high prevalence in the general population. Despite a mild manifestation at the onset stage, it causes serious consequences, including sudden death, when the disease progresses to the late stage. Most available treatments of AF focus on symptom management or alleviation, due to a lack of fundamental knowledge and the fact that considerable variations of AF exist. With the popularisation of the next-generation sequencing technology, several causal genetic factors, including MYL4, have been discovered to contribute to AF, giving hope to developing its gene therapies. In this study, we attempted to treat a previously established rat AF model, which carried Myl4E11K/E11K loss of function mutation, via overexpression of exogenous wild-type Myl4 by AAV9 vectors. Our results showed that delivery of Myl4 expressing AAV9 to postnatal rat models rescued the symptoms of AF, indicating the therapeutic potential that early gene therapy intervention can achieve long-term effects in treating cardiac arrhythmias caused by gene mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Handan Hu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Liren Wang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Huiying Li
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
- Southern Medical University Affiliated Fengxian Hospital, Shanghai 201499, China
| | - Hailing Li
- The Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200072, China
| | - Xi Chen
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Wenhui Peng
- The Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200072, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - Yongxiang Zhao
- National Center for International Biotargeting Theranostics, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Biotargeting Theranostics, Collaborative Innovation Center for Targeting Tumor Theranostics, Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi 530021, China
| | - Mingyao Liu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Dali Li
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
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16
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Yang YS, Kim JM, Xie J, Chaugule S, Lin C, Ma H, Hsiao E, Hong J, Chun H, Shore EM, Kaplan FS, Gao G, Shim JH. Suppression of heterotopic ossification in fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva using AAV gene delivery. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6175. [PMID: 36258013 PMCID: PMC9579182 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33956-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterotopic ossification is the most disabling feature of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, an ultra-rare genetic disorder for which there is currently no prevention or treatment. Most patients with this disease harbor a heterozygous activating mutation (c.617 G > A;p.R206H) in ACVR1. Here, we identify recombinant AAV9 as the most effective serotype for transduction of the major cells-of-origin of heterotopic ossification. We use AAV9 delivery for gene replacement by expression of codon-optimized human ACVR1, ACVR1R206H allele-specific silencing by AAV-compatible artificial miRNA and a combination of gene replacement and silencing. In mouse skeletal cells harboring a conditional knock-in allele of human mutant ACVR1 and in patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells, AAV gene therapy ablated aberrant Activin A signaling and chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation. In Acvr1(R206H) knock-in mice treated locally in early adulthood or systemically at birth, trauma-induced endochondral bone formation was markedly reduced, while inflammation and fibroproliferative responses remained largely intact in the injured muscle. Remarkably, spontaneous heterotopic ossification also substantially decreased in in Acvr1(R206H) knock-in mice treated systemically at birth or in early adulthood. Collectively, we develop promising gene therapeutics that can prevent disabling heterotopic ossification in mice, supporting clinical translation to patients with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeon-Suk Yang
- Department of Medicine/Division of Rheumatology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Jung-Min Kim
- Department of Medicine/Division of Rheumatology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Jun Xie
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Viral Vector Core, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Sachin Chaugule
- Department of Medicine/Division of Rheumatology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Chujiao Lin
- Department of Medicine/Division of Rheumatology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Hong Ma
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Viral Vector Core, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Edward Hsiao
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine; the Institute for Human Genetics; the Program in Craniofacial Biology; and the Eli and Edyth Broad Institute of Regeneration Medicine, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jaehyoung Hong
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyonho Chun
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Eileen M Shore
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Genetics, The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- The Center for Research in FOP and Related Disorders, The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Frederick S Kaplan
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- The Center for Research in FOP and Related Disorders, The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Guangping Gao
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
- Viral Vector Core, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
- Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
| | - Jae-Hyuck Shim
- Department of Medicine/Division of Rheumatology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
- Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
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17
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Guo Z, Geng M, Huang Y, Han G, Jing R, Lin C, Zhang X, Zhang M, Fan G, Wang F, Yin H. Upregulation of Wilms' Tumor 1 in epicardial cells increases cardiac fibrosis in dystrophic mice. Cell Death Differ 2022; 29:1928-1940. [PMID: 35306537 PMCID: PMC9525265 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-022-00979-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiomyopathy is a primary cause of mortality in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients. Mechanistic understanding of cardiac fibrosis holds the key to effective DMD cardiomyopathy treatments. Here we demonstrate that upregulation of Wilms' tumor 1 (Wt1) gene in epicardial cells increased cardiac fibrosis and impaired cardiac function in 8-month old mdx mice lacking the RNA component of telomerase (mdx/mTR-/-). Levels of phosphorylated IƙBα and p65 significantly rose in mdx/mTR-/- dystrophic hearts and Wt1 expression declined in the epicardium of mdx/mTR-/- mice when nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and inflammation were inhibited by metformin. This demonstrates that Wt1 expression in epicardial cells is dependent on inflammation-triggered NF-κB activation. Metformin effectively prevented cardiac fibrosis and improved cardiac function in mdx/mTR-/- mice. Our study demonstrates that upregulation of Wt1 in epicardial cells contributes to fibrosis in dystrophic hearts and metformin-mediated inhibition of NF-κB can ameliorate the pathology, and thus showing clinical potential for dystrophic cardiomyopathy. Translational Perspective: Cardiomyopathy is a major cause of mortality in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients. Promising exon-skipping treatments are moving to the clinic, but getting sufficient dystrophin expression in the heart has proven challenging. The present study shows that Wilms' Tumor 1 (Wt1) upregulation in epicardial cells is primarily responsible for cardiac fibrosis and dysfunction of dystrophic mice and likely of DMD patients. Metformin effectively prevents cardiac fibrosis and improves cardiac function in dystrophic mice, thus representing a treatment option for DMD patients on top of existing therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenglong Guo
- The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics & Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cellular Homeostasis and Human Diseases & School of Medical Technology & Department of Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University, Guangdong Road, Tianjin, 300203, China
- Medical Genetic Institute of Henan Province, Henan Provincial Key laboratory of Genetic Diseases and Functional Genomics, National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Birth Defects Prevention, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Mengyuan Geng
- The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics & Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cellular Homeostasis and Human Diseases & School of Medical Technology & Department of Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University, Guangdong Road, Tianjin, 300203, China
| | - Yuting Huang
- First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changling Road, Xiqing District, Tianjin, 300193, China
| | - Gang Han
- The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics & Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cellular Homeostasis and Human Diseases & School of Medical Technology & Department of Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University, Guangdong Road, Tianjin, 300203, China
| | - Renwei Jing
- The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics & Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cellular Homeostasis and Human Diseases & School of Medical Technology & Department of Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University, Guangdong Road, Tianjin, 300203, China
| | - Caorui Lin
- The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics & Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cellular Homeostasis and Human Diseases & School of Medical Technology & Department of Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University, Guangdong Road, Tianjin, 300203, China
| | - Xiaoning Zhang
- Department of Genetics, Tianjin Medical University, Qixiangtai Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Miaomiao Zhang
- Department of Genetics, Tianjin Medical University, Qixiangtai Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Guanwei Fan
- First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changling Road, Xiqing District, Tianjin, 300193, China
| | - Feng Wang
- Department of Genetics, Tianjin Medical University, Qixiangtai Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - HaiFang Yin
- The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics & Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cellular Homeostasis and Human Diseases & School of Medical Technology & Department of Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University, Guangdong Road, Tianjin, 300203, China.
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, 300052, China.
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18
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The multifaceted actions of the lncRNA H19 in cardiovascular biology and diseases. Clin Sci (Lond) 2022; 136:1157-1178. [PMID: 35946958 PMCID: PMC9366862 DOI: 10.1042/cs20210994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death and debility worldwide. Various molecular mechanisms have been studied to better understand the development and progression of cardiovascular pathologies with hope to eradicate these diseases. With the advancement of the sequencing technology, it is revealed that the majority of our genome is non-coding. A growing body of literature demonstrates the critical role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) as epigenetic regulators of gene expression. LncRNAs can regulate cellular biological processes through various distinct molecular mechanisms. The abundance of lncRNAs in the cardiovascular system indicates their significance in cardiovascular physiology and pathology. LncRNA H19, in particular, is a highly evolutionarily conserved lncRNA that is enriched in cardiac and vascular tissue, underlining its importance in maintaining homeostasis of the cardiovascular system. In this review, we discuss the versatile function of H19 in various types of cardiovascular diseases. We highlight the current literature on H19 in the cardiovascular system and demonstrate how dysregulation of H19 induces the development of cardiovascular pathophysiology.
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19
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Park F. The heart is where AAV9 lies. Physiol Genomics 2022; 54:316-318. [PMID: 35816650 DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00102.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Frank Park
- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Memphis, TN, United States
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20
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Exploring the Potential of Symmetric Exon Deletion to Treat Non-Ischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy by Removing Frameshift Mutations in TTN. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13061093. [PMID: 35741855 PMCID: PMC9222585 DOI: 10.3390/genes13061093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is one of the most frequent pathologies requiring cardiac transplants. Even though the etiology of this disease is complex, frameshift mutations in the giant sarcomeric protein Titin could explain up to 25% of the familial and 18% of the sporadic cases of DCM. Many studies have shown the potential of genome editing using CRISPR/Cas9 to correct truncating mutations in sarcomeric proteins and have established the grounds for myoediting. However, these therapies are still in an immature state, with only few studies showing an efficient treatment of cardiac diseases. This publication hypothesizes that the Titin (TTN)-specific gene structure allows the application of myoediting approaches in a broad range of locations to reframe TTNtvvariants and to treat DCM patients. Additionally, to pave the way for the generation of efficient myoediting approaches for DCM, we screened and selected promising target locations in TTN. We conceptually explored the deletion of symmetric exons as a therapeutic approach to restore TTN’s reading frame in cases of frameshift mutations. We identified a set of 94 potential candidate exons of TTN that we consider particularly suitable for this therapeutic deletion. With this study, we aim to contribute to the development of new therapies to efficiently treat titinopathies and other diseases caused by mutations in genes encoding proteins with modular structures, e.g., Obscurin.
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21
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Abstract
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the developed world. In recent decades, extraordinary effort has been devoted to defining the molecular and pathophysiological characteristics of the diseased heart and vasculature. Mouse models have been especially powerful in illuminating the complex signaling pathways, genetic and epigenetic regulatory circuits, and multicellular interactions that underlie cardiovascular disease. The advent of CRISPR genome editing has ushered in a new era of cardiovascular research and possibilities for genetic correction of disease. Next-generation sequencing technologies have greatly accelerated the identification of disease-causing mutations, and advances in gene editing have enabled the rapid modeling of these mutations in mice and patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells. The ability to correct the genetic drivers of cardiovascular disease through delivery of gene editing components in vivo, while still facing challenges, represents an exciting therapeutic frontier. In this review, we provide an overview of cardiovascular disease mechanisms and the potential applications of CRISPR genome editing for disease modeling and correction. We also discuss the extent to which mice can faithfully model cardiovascular disease and the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Liu
- Department of Molecular Biology, Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
| | - Eric N Olson
- Department of Molecular Biology, Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
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22
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Trochet D, Prudhon B, Mekzine L, Lemaitre M, Beuvin M, Julien L, Benkhelifa-Ziyyat S, Bui MT, Romero N, Bitoun M. Benefits of therapy by dynamin-2-mutant-specific silencing are maintained with time in a mouse model of dominant centronuclear myopathy. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2022; 27:1179-1190. [PMID: 35282416 PMCID: PMC8889367 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2022.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Dominant dynamin 2 (DNM2) mutations are responsible for the autosomal dominant centronuclear myopathy (AD-CNM), a rare progressive neuromuscular disorder ranging from severe neonatal to mild adult forms. We previously demonstrated that mutant-specific RNA interference is an efficient therapeutic strategy to rescue the muscle phenotype at the onset of the symptoms in the AD-CNM knockin-Dnm2 R465W/+ mouse model. Our objective was to evaluate the long-term benefit of the treatment along with the disease time course. We demonstrate here that the complete rescue of the muscle phenotype is maintained for at least 1 year after a single injection of adeno-associated virus expressing the mutant-specific short hairpin RNA (shRNA). This was achieved by a maintained reduction of the mutant Dnm2 transcript. Moreover, this long-term study uncovers a pathological accumulation of DNM2 protein occurring with age in the mouse model and prevented by the treatment. Conversely, a physiological DNM2 protein decrease with age was observed in muscles from wild-type mice. Therefore, this study highlights a new potential pathophysiological mechanism linked to mutant protein accumulation and underlines the importance of DNM2 protein expression level for proper muscle function. Overall, these results strengthen the allele-specific silencing approach as a robust, safe, and efficient therapy for AD-CNM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delphine Trochet
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Bernard Prudhon
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Lylia Mekzine
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, F-75013 Paris, France
| | | | - Maud Beuvin
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Laura Julien
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Sofia Benkhelifa-Ziyyat
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Mai Thao Bui
- Neuromuscular Morphology Unit, Myology Institute, GHU Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Norma Romero
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, F-75013 Paris, France
- Neuromuscular Morphology Unit, Myology Institute, GHU Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Marc Bitoun
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, F-75013 Paris, France
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23
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Riedmayr LM, Hinrichsmeyer KS, Karguth N, Böhm S, Splith V, Michalakis S, Becirovic E. dCas9-VPR-mediated transcriptional activation of functionally equivalent genes for gene therapy. Nat Protoc 2022; 17:781-818. [PMID: 35132255 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-021-00666-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Many disease-causing genes possess functionally equivalent counterparts, which are often expressed in distinct cell types. An attractive gene therapy approach for inherited disorders caused by mutations in such genes is to transcriptionally activate the appropriate counterpart(s) to compensate for the missing gene function. This approach offers key advantages over conventional gene therapies because it is mutation- and gene size-independent. Here, we describe a protocol for the design, execution and evaluation of such gene therapies using dCas9-VPR. We offer guidelines on how to identify functionally equivalent genes, design and clone single guide RNAs and evaluate transcriptional activation in vitro. Moreover, focusing on inherited retinal diseases, we provide a detailed protocol on how to apply this strategy in mice using dual recombinant adeno-associated virus vectors and how to evaluate its functionality and off-target effects in the target tissue. This strategy is in principle applicable to all organisms that possess functionally equivalent genes suitable for transcriptional activation and addresses pivotal unmet needs in gene therapy with high translational potential. The protocol can be completed in 15-20 weeks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Riedmayr
- Department of Pharmacy-Center for Drug Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Klara S Hinrichsmeyer
- Department of Pharmacy-Center for Drug Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Nina Karguth
- Department of Pharmacy-Center for Drug Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Sybille Böhm
- Department of Pharmacy-Center for Drug Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Victoria Splith
- Department of Pharmacy-Center for Drug Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Stylianos Michalakis
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Elvir Becirovic
- Department of Pharmacy-Center for Drug Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.
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24
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Shao W, Sun J, Chen X, Dobbins A, Merricks EP, Samulski RJ, Nichols TC, Li C. Chimeric Mice Engrafted With Canine Hepatocytes Exhibits Similar AAV Transduction Efficiency to Hemophilia B Dog. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:815317. [PMID: 35173619 PMCID: PMC8841897 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.815317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) mediated gene therapy has been successfully applied in clinical trials, including hemophilia. Novel AAV vectors have been developed with enhanced transduction and specific tissue tropism. Considering the difference in efficacy of AAV transduction between animal models and patients, the chimeric xenograft mouse model with human hepatocytes has unique advantages of studying AAV transduction efficiency in human hepatocytes. However, it is unclear whether the results in humanized mice can predict AAV transduction efficiency in human hepatocytes. To address this issue, we studied the AAV transduction efficacy in canine hepatocytes in both canine hepatocyte xenografted mice and real dogs. After administration of AAV vectors from different serotypes into canine hepatocyte xenograft mice, AAV8 induced the best canine hepatocyte transduction followed by AAV9, then AAV3, 7, 5 and 2. After administration of AAV/cFIX (cFIX-opt-R338L) vectors in hemophilia B dogs, consistent with the result in chimeric mice, AAV8 induced the highest cFIX protein expression and function, followed by AAV9 and then AAV2. These results suggest that mice xenografted with hepatocytes from different species could be used to predict the AAV liver transduction in real species and highlight this potential platform to explore novel AAV variants for future clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenwei Shao
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.,Gene Therapy Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Junjiang Sun
- Gene Therapy Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.,Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Xiaojing Chen
- Gene Therapy Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Amanda Dobbins
- Gene Therapy Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Elizabeth P Merricks
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and The Blood Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - R Jude Samulski
- Gene Therapy Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.,Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Timothy C Nichols
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and The Blood Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Chengwen Li
- Gene Therapy Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.,Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
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25
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Joladarashi D, Zhu Y, Willman M, Nash K, Cimini M, Thandavarayan RA, Youker KA, Song X, Ren D, Li J, Kishore R, Krishnamurthy P, Wang L. STK35 Gene Therapy Attenuates Endothelial Dysfunction and Improves Cardiac Function in Diabetes. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 8:798091. [PMID: 35097018 PMCID: PMC8792894 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2021.798091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is characterized by microvascular pathology and interstitial fibrosis that leads to progressive heart failure. The mechanisms underlying DCM pathogenesis remain obscure, and no effective treatments for the disease have been available. In the present study, we observed that STK35, a novel kinase, is decreased in the diabetic human heart. High glucose treatment, mimicking hyperglycemia in diabetes, downregulated STK35 expression in mouse cardiac endothelial cells (MCEC). Knockdown of STK35 attenuated MCEC proliferation, migration, and tube formation, whereas STK35 overexpression restored the high glucose-suppressed MCEC migration and tube formation. Angiogenesis gene PCR array analysis revealed that HG downregulated the expression of several angiogenic genes, and this suppression was fully restored by STK35 overexpression. Intravenous injection of AAV9-STK35 viral particles successfully overexpressed STK35 in diabetic mouse hearts, leading to increased vascular density, suppression of fibrosis in the heart, and amelioration of left ventricular function. Altogether, our results suggest that hyperglycemia downregulates endothelial STK35 expression, leading to microvascular dysfunction in diabetic hearts, representing a novel mechanism underlying DCM pathogenesis. Our study also emerges STK35 is a novel gene therapeutic target for preventing and treating DCM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darukeshwara Joladarashi
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, Bryd Alzheimer's Research Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
- Center for Translational Medicine, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Yanan Zhu
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, Bryd Alzheimer's Research Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Matthew Willman
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, Bryd Alzheimer's Research Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Kevin Nash
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, Bryd Alzheimer's Research Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Maria Cimini
- Center for Translational Medicine, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | | | - Keith A. Youker
- Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Xuehong Song
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, Bryd Alzheimer's Research Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Di Ren
- Department of Surgery, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Ji Li
- Department of Surgery, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Raj Kishore
- Center for Translational Medicine, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Prasanna Krishnamurthy
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
- Prasanna Krishnamurthy
| | - Lianchun Wang
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, Bryd Alzheimer's Research Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
- *Correspondence: Lianchun Wang
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26
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Devarakonda T, Mauro AG, Cain C, Das A, Salloum FN. Cardiac Gene Therapy With Relaxin Receptor 1 Overexpression Protects Against Acute Myocardial Infarction. JACC Basic Transl Sci 2022; 7:53-63. [PMID: 35128209 PMCID: PMC8807852 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacbts.2021.10.012] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
AAV9 vectors can upregulate Rxfp1 mRNA in murine heart after intravenous injection. RXFP1 upregulation sensitizes the left ventricle to relaxin-induced inotropy. RXFP1 overexpression protects heart from ischemia-reperfusion injury.
Relaxin is a pleiotropic hormone shown to confer cardioprotection in several preclinical models of cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury. In the present study, the effects of up-regulating relaxin family peptide receptor 1 (RXFP1) via adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9) vectors were investigated in a mouse model of myocardial infarction. AAV9-RXFP1 vectors were generated and injected in adult male CD1 mice. Up-regulation of Rxfp1 was confirmed via quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and overexpressing animals showed increased sensitivity to relaxin-induced ventricular inotropic response. Overexpressing animals also demonstrated reduced infarct size and preserved cardiac function 24 hours after ischemia-reperfusion. Up-regulation of RXFP1 via AAV9 vectors has potential therapeutic utility in preventing adverse remodeling after myocardial infarction.
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Key Words
- AAV, adeno-associated virus
- CMV, cytomegalovirus
- GLS, global longitudinal strain
- IR, ischemia-reperfusion
- LV function
- LV, left ventricular
- MAPK, mitogen-activated protein kinase
- MI, myocardial infarction
- PV, pressure-volume
- RXFP1
- RXFP1, relaxin family peptide receptor 1
- SIRO, simulated ischemia and reoxygenation
- VEC, empty vector
- eNOS, endothelial nitric oxide synthase
- gene therapy
- ischemia-reperfusion injury
- mRNA, messenger ribonucleic acid
- relaxin
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Affiliation(s)
- Teja Devarakonda
- Pauley Heart Center, Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Adolfo G. Mauro
- Pauley Heart Center, Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Chad Cain
- Pauley Heart Center, Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Anindita Das
- Pauley Heart Center, Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Fadi N. Salloum
- Pauley Heart Center, Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
- Address for correspondence: Dr Fadi N. Salloum, Division of Cardiology, Box 980204, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1101 East Marshall Street, Room 7-070, Richmond, Virginia 23298, USA.
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27
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Bilal AS, Thuerauf DJ, Blackwood EA, Glembotski CC. Design and Production of Heart Chamber-Specific AAV9 Vectors. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2573:89-113. [PMID: 36040589 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2707-5_8] [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] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9) is often used in heart research involving gene delivery due to its cardiotropism, high transduction efficiency, and little to no pathogenicity, making it highly applicable for gene manipulation, in vivo. However, current AAV9 technology is limited by the lack of strains that can selectively express and elucidate gene function in an atrial- and ventricular-specific manner. In fact, study of gene function in cardiac atria has been limited due to the lack of an appropriate tool to study atrial gene expression in vivo, hindering progress in the study of atrial-specific diseases such as atrial fibrillation, the most common cardiac arrhythmia in the USA.This chapter describes the method for the design and production of such chamber-specific AAV9 vectors, with the use of Nppa and Myl2 promoters to enhance atrial- and ventricular-specific expression. While several gene promoter candidates were considered and tested, Nppa and Myl2 were selected for use here because of their clearly defined regulatory elements that confer cardiac chamber-specific expression. Accordingly, Nppa (-425/+25) and Myl2 (-226/+36) promoter fragments are inserted into AAV9 vectors. The atrial- and ventricular-specific expression conferred by these new recombinant AAV9 was confirmed in a double-fluorescent Cre-dependent reporter mouse model. At only 450 and 262 base pairs of Nppa and Myl2 promoters, respectively, these AAV9 that drive chamber-specific AAV9 transgene expression address two major limitations of AAV9 technology, i.e., achieving chamber-specificity while maximizing space in the AAV genome for insertion of larger transgenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina S Bilal
- Translational Cardiovascular Research Center and Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Donna J Thuerauf
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Erik A Blackwood
- Translational Cardiovascular Research Center and Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Christopher C Glembotski
- Translational Cardiovascular Research Center and Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
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28
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Dash PK, Alomar FA, Cox JL, McMillan J, Hackfort BT, Makarov E, Morsey B, Fox HS, Gendelman HE, Gorantla S, Bidasee KR. A Link Between Methylglyoxal and Heart Failure During HIV-1 Infection. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 8:792180. [PMID: 34970611 PMCID: PMC8712558 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2021.792180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Early-onset heart failure (HF) continues to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality in people living with human immunodeficiency virus type one (HIV-1) infection (PLWH), yet the molecular causes for this remain poorly understood. Herein NOD.Cg-PrkdcscidIl2rgtm1Wjl/SzJ humanized mice (Hu-mice), plasma from PLWH, and autopsied cardiac tissues from deceased HIV seropositive individuals were used to assess if there is a link between the glycolysis byproduct methylglyoxal (MG) and HF in the setting of HIV-1 infection. At five weeks post HIV infection, Hu-mice developed grade III-IV diastolic dysfunction (DD) with an associated two-fold increase in plasma MG. At sixteen-seventeen weeks post infection, cardiac ejection fraction and fractional shortening also declined by 26 and 35%, and plasma MG increased to four-fold higher than uninfected controls. Histopathological and biochemical analyses of cardiac tissues from Hu-mice 17 weeks post-infection affirmed MG increase with a concomitant decrease in expression of the MG-degrading enzyme glyoxalase-1 (Glo1). The endothelial cell marker CD31 was found to be lower, and coronary microvascular leakage and myocardial fibrosis were prominent. Increasing expression of Glo1 in Hu-mice five weeks post-infection using a single dose of an engineered AAV2/9 (1.7 × 1012 virion particles/kg), attenuated the increases in plasma and cardiac MG levels. Increasing Glo1 also blunted microvascular leakage, fibrosis, and HF seen at sixteen weeks post-infection, without changes in plasma viral loads. In plasma from virally suppressed PLWH, MG was also 3.7-fold higher. In autopsied cardiac tissues from seropositive, HIV individuals with low viral log, MG was 4.2-fold higher and Glo1 was 50% lower compared to uninfected controls. These data show for the first time a causal link between accumulation of MG and HF in the setting of HIV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prasanta K Dash
- Departments of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Fadhel A Alomar
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Clinical Pharmacy, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jesse L Cox
- Departments of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - JoEllyn McMillan
- Departments of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Bryan T Hackfort
- Departments of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Edward Makarov
- Departments of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Brenda Morsey
- Departments of Neurological Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Howard S Fox
- Departments of Neurological Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Howard E Gendelman
- Departments of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Santhi Gorantla
- Departments of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Keshore R Bidasee
- Departments of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States.,Departments of Environment and Occupational Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States.,Nebraska Redox Biology Center, Lincoln, NE, United States
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PCR-Based Analytical Methods for Quantification and Quality Control of Recombinant Adeno-Associated Viral Vector Preparations. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 15:ph15010023. [PMID: 35056080 PMCID: PMC8779925 DOI: 10.3390/ph15010023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors (rAAV) represent a gene therapy tool of ever-increasing importance. Their utilization as a delivery vehicle for gene replacement, silencing and editing, among other purposes, demonstrate considerable versatility. Emerging vector utilization in various experimental, preclinical and clinical applications establishes the necessity of producing and characterizing a wide variety of rAAV preparations. Critically important characteristics concerning quality control are rAAV titer quantification and the detection of impurities. Differences in rAAV constructs necessitate the development of highly standardized quantification assays to make direct comparisons of different preparations in terms of assembly or purification efficiency, as well as experimental or therapeutic dosages. The development of universal methods for impurities quantification is rather complicated, since variable production platforms are utilized for rAAV assembly. However, general agreements also should be achieved to address this issue. The majority of methods for rAAV quantification and quality control are based on PCR techniques. Despite the progress made, increasing evidence concerning high variability in titration assays indicates poor standardization of the methods undertaken to date. This review summarizes successes in the field of rAAV quality control and emphasizes ongoing challenges in PCR applications for rAAV characterization. General considerations regarding possible solutions are also provided.
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30
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Bass-Stringer S, Tai CMK, McMullen JR. IGF1-PI3K-induced physiological cardiac hypertrophy: Implications for new heart failure therapies, biomarkers, and predicting cardiotoxicity. JOURNAL OF SPORT AND HEALTH SCIENCE 2021; 10:637-647. [PMID: 33246162 PMCID: PMC8724616 DOI: 10.1016/j.jshs.2020.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Heart failure represents the end point of a variety of cardiovascular diseases. It is a growing health burden and a leading cause of death worldwide. To date, limited treatment options exist for the treatment of heart failure, but exercise has been well-established as one of the few safe and effective interventions, leading to improved outcomes in patients. However, a lack of patient adherence remains a significant barrier in the implementation of exercise-based therapy for the treatment of heart failure. The insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1)-phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway has been recognized as perhaps the most critical pathway for mediating exercised-induced heart growth and protection. Here, we discuss how modulating activity of the IGF1-PI3K pathway may be a valuable approach for the development of therapies that mimic the protective effects of exercise on the heart. We outline some of the promising approaches being investigated that utilize PI3K-based therapy for the treatment of heart failure. We discuss the implications for cardiac pathology and cardiotoxicity that arise in a setting of reduced PI3K activity. Finally, we discuss the use of animal models of cardiac health and disease, and genetic mice with increased or decreased cardiac PI3K activity for the discovery of novel drug targets and biomarkers of cardiovascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Bass-Stringer
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Celeste M K Tai
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Julie R McMullen
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia; Department of Diabetes, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Department of Physiology and Department of Medicine Alfred Hospital, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia.
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31
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miRNA-27a Transcription Activated by c-Fos Regulates Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury by Targeting ATAD3a. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2021; 2021:2514947. [PMID: 34413925 PMCID: PMC8369174 DOI: 10.1155/2021/2514947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
MicroRNA-27a (miR-27a) has been implicated in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI), but the underlying mechanism is not well understood. This study is aimed at determining the role of miR-27a in MIRI and at investigating upstream molecules that regulate miR-27a expression and its downstream target genes. miR-27a expression was significantly upregulated in myocardia exposed to ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) and cardiomyocytes exposed to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R). c-Fos could regulate miR-27a expression by binding to its promoter region. Moreover, overexpression of miR-27a led to a decrease in cell viability, an increase in LDH and CK-MB secretion, and an increase in apoptosis rates. In contrast, suppression of miR-27a expression resulted in the opposite effects. ATPase family AAA-domain-containing protein 3A (ATAD3a) was identified as a target of miR-27a. miR-27a regulated the translocation of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) from the mitochondria to the nucleus and H/R-induced apoptosis via the regulation of ATAD3a. It was found that inhibiting miR-27a in vivo by injecting a miR-27a sponge could ameliorate MIRI in an isolated rat heart model. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that c-Fos functions as an upstream regulator of miR-27a and that miR-27a regulates the translocation of AIF from the mitochondria to the nucleus by targeting ATAD3a, thereby contributing to MIRI. These findings provide new insight into the role of the c-Fos/miR-27a/ATAD3a axis in MIRI.
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Rapid generation of mouse model for emerging infectious disease with the case of severe COVID-19. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009758. [PMID: 34379705 PMCID: PMC8415591 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the pandemic of COVID-19 has intensely struck human society, small animal model for this infectious disease is in urgent need for basic and pharmaceutical research. Although several COVID-19 animal models have been identified, many of them show either minimal or inadequate pathophysiology after SARS-CoV-2 challenge. Here, we describe a new and versatile strategy to rapidly establish a mouse model for emerging infectious diseases in one month by multi-route, multi-serotype transduction with recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors expressing viral receptor. In this study, the proposed approach enables profound and enduring systemic expression of SARS-CoV-2-receptor hACE2 in wild-type mice and renders them vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Upon virus challenge, generated AAV/hACE2 mice showed pathophysiology closely mimicking the patients with severe COVID-19. The efficacy of a novel therapeutic antibody cocktail RBD-chAbs for COVID-19 was tested and confirmed by using this AAV/hACE2 mouse model, further demonstrating its successful application in drug development. Upon the emergence of new infectious disease, animal model becomes a pivotal tool for study of disease mechanism and development of therapeutics. In this study, we propose a versatile approach that allows rapid generation of mouse model for novel infectious disease once the receptor of the pathogen is identified. We demonstrated this approach by generating a mouse model for COVID-19 in a month’s time. These mice were capable of recapitulating severe COVID-19 in patients, and successfully applied in the development of a therapeutic antibody cocktail for the disease. This not only suggests the usefulness of this mouse model for the research on COVID-19, but also exhibit the utility of the proposed approach for establishing animal model for infectious disease.
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Rashid FN, Clayton ZE, Ogawa M, Perdomo J, Hume RD, Kizana E, Chong JJH. Platelet derived growth factor-A (Pdgf-a) gene transfer modulates scar composition and improves left ventricular function after myocardial infarction. Int J Cardiol 2021; 341:24-30. [PMID: 34265313 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2021.07.021] [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: 01/17/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Novel therapies that can limit or reverse damage caused by myocardial infarction (MI) could ease the increasing burden of heart failure. In this regard Platelet Derived Growth Factor (PDGF) has been previously shown to contribute to cardiac repair after MI. Here, we use a rodent model of MI and recombinant adeno-associated virus 9 (rAAV9)-mediated gene transfer to overexpress Pdgf-a in the injured heart and assess its therapeutic potential. METHODS AND RESULTS Sprague Dawley rats underwent temporary occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery, followed immediately by systemic delivery of 1 × 10^11 vector genomes of either rAAV9 Pdgf-a or rAAV9 Empty vector (control). At day 28 post-MI echocardiography showed significantly improved left ventricular (LV) function (fractional shortening) after rAAV9 Pdgf-a (0.394 ± 0.019%) treatment vs control (0.304 ± 0.018%). Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated significantly increased capillary and arteriolar density in the infarct border zone of rAAV9 Pdgf-a treated hearts together with a significant reduction in infarct scar size (rAAV9 Pdgf-a 6.09 ± 0.94% vs Empty 12.45 ± 0.92%). Western blot and qPCR analyses confirmed overexpression of PDGF-A and showed upregulation of smooth muscle alpha actin (Acta2), collagen type III alpha 1 (Col3a1) and lysyl oxidase (Lox) genes in rAAV9 Pdgf-a treated infarcts. CONCLUSION Overexpression of Pdgf-a in the post-MI heart can modulate scar composition and improve LV function. Our study highlights the potential of rAAV gene transfer of Pdgf-a as a cardio-reparative therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fairooj N Rashid
- Centre for Heart Research, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, 176 Hawkesbury Road, Westmead 2145, NSW, Australia; The University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Zoë E Clayton
- Centre for Heart Research, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, 176 Hawkesbury Road, Westmead 2145, NSW, Australia; The University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Masahito Ogawa
- Centre for Heart Research, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, 176 Hawkesbury Road, Westmead 2145, NSW, Australia; The University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Jose Perdomo
- Haematology Research Unit, St George and Sutherland Clinical School, University of New South Wales, NSW, Australia
| | - Robert D Hume
- Centre for Heart Research, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, 176 Hawkesbury Road, Westmead 2145, NSW, Australia; The University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Eddy Kizana
- Centre for Heart Research, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, 176 Hawkesbury Road, Westmead 2145, NSW, Australia; The University of Sydney, Australia; Department of Cardiology, Westmead Hospital, Westmead 2145, NSW, Australia; Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - James J H Chong
- Centre for Heart Research, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, 176 Hawkesbury Road, Westmead 2145, NSW, Australia; The University of Sydney, Australia; Department of Cardiology, Westmead Hospital, Westmead 2145, NSW, Australia; Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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Abstract
For therapeutic materials to be successfully delivered to the heart, several barriers need to be overcome, including the anatomical challenges of access, the mechanical force of the blood flow, the endothelial barrier, the cellular barrier and the immune response. Various vectors and delivery methods have been proposed to improve the cardiac-specific uptake of materials to modify gene expression. Viral and non-viral vectors are widely used to deliver genetic materials, but each has its respective advantages and shortcomings. Adeno-associated viruses have emerged as one of the best tools for heart-targeted gene delivery. In addition, extracellular vesicles, including exosomes, which are secreted by most cell types, have gained popularity for drug delivery to several organs, including the heart. Accumulating evidence suggests that extracellular vesicles can carry and transfer functional proteins and genetic materials into target cells and might be an attractive option for heart-targeted delivery. Extracellular vesicles or artificial carriers of non-viral and viral vectors can be bioengineered with immune-evasive and cardiotropic properties. In this Review, we discuss the latest strategies for targeting and delivering therapeutic materials to the heart and how the knowledge of different vectors and delivery methods could successfully translate cardiac gene therapy into the clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susmita Sahoo
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Taro Kariya
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kiyotake Ishikawa
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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35
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Mitochondrial targeted meganuclease as a platform to eliminate mutant mtDNA in vivo. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3210. [PMID: 34050192 PMCID: PMC8163834 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23561-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Diseases caused by heteroplasmic mitochondrial DNA mutations have no effective treatment or cure. In recent years, DNA editing enzymes were tested as tools to eliminate mutant mtDNA in heteroplasmic cells and tissues. Mitochondrial-targeted restriction endonucleases, ZFNs, and TALENs have been successful in shifting mtDNA heteroplasmy, but they all have drawbacks as gene therapy reagents, including: large size, heterodimeric nature, inability to distinguish single base changes, or low flexibility and effectiveness. Here we report the adaptation of a gene editing platform based on the I-CreI meganuclease known as ARCUS®. These mitochondrial-targeted meganucleases (mitoARCUS) have a relatively small size, are monomeric, and can recognize sequences differing by as little as one base pair. We show the development of a mitoARCUS specific for the mouse m.5024C>T mutation in the mt-tRNAAla gene and its delivery to mice intravenously using AAV9 as a vector. Liver and skeletal muscle show robust elimination of mutant mtDNA with concomitant restoration of mt-tRNAAla levels. We conclude that mitoARCUS is a potential powerful tool for the elimination of mutant mtDNA. Heteroplasmic mitochondrial DNA mutations lack effective treatments. Here the authors adapt I-CreI meganuclease to target the mitochondria and specifically-eliminate mtDNA with a m.5024C>T mutation in the mttRNA Ala gene.
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36
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Bao J, Lu Y, She Q, Dou W, Tang R, Xu X, Zhang M, Zhu L, Zhou Q, Li H, Zhou G, Yang Z, Shi S, Liu Z, Zheng C. MicroRNA-30 regulates left ventricular hypertrophy in chronic kidney disease. JCI Insight 2021; 6:138027. [PMID: 33848263 PMCID: PMC8262338 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.138027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a primary feature of cardiovascular complications in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). miRNA-30 is an important posttranscriptional regulator of LVH, but it is unknown whether miRNA-30 participates in the process of CKD-induced LVH. In the present study, we found that CKD not only resulted in LVH but also suppressed miRNA-30 expression in the myocardium. Rescue of cardiomyocyte-specific miRNA-30 attenuated LVH in CKD rats without altering CKD progression. Importantly, in vivo and in vitro knockdown of miRNA-30 in cardiomyocytes led to cardiomyocyte hypertrophy by upregulating the calcineurin signaling directly. Furthermore, CKD-related detrimental factors, such as fibroblast growth factor-23, uremic toxin, angiotensin II, and transforming growth factor–β, suppressed cardiac miRNA-30 expression, while miRNA-30 supplementation blunted cardiomyocyte hypertrophy induced by such factors. These results uncover a potentially novel mechanism of CKD-induced LVH and provide a potential therapeutic target for CKD patients with LVH. Downregulation of myocardial miRNA-30 is involved in chronic kidney disease–induced left ventricular hypertrophy, whereas exogenous miRNA-30 rescue inhibits this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingfu Bao
- National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Diseases, and
| | - Yinghui Lu
- National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Diseases, and
| | - Qinying She
- National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Diseases, and
| | - Weijuan Dou
- National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Diseases, and
| | - Rong Tang
- National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Diseases, and
| | - Xiaodong Xu
- National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Diseases, and
| | - Mingchao Zhang
- National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Diseases, and
| | - Ling Zhu
- National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Diseases, and
| | - Qing Zhou
- Department of Pharmacology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Pharmacology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Guohua Zhou
- Department of Pharmacology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhongzhou Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Department of Cardiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University School of Medicine, and MOE Key Laboratory of Model Animal for Disease Study, Model Animal Research Center, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shaolin Shi
- National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Diseases, and
| | - Zhihong Liu
- National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Diseases, and
| | - Chunxia Zheng
- National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Diseases, and
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Srivastava A, Mallela KMG, Deorkar N, Brophy G. Manufacturing Challenges and Rational Formulation Development for AAV Viral Vectors. J Pharm Sci 2021; 110:2609-2624. [PMID: 33812887 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2021.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) has emerged as a leading platform for gene delivery for treating various diseases due to its excellent safety profile and efficient transduction to various target tissues. However, the large-scale production and long-term storage of viral vectors is not efficient resulting in lower yields, moderate purity, and shorter shelf-life compared to recombinant protein therapeutics. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of upstream, downstream and formulation unit operation challenges encountered during AAV vector manufacturing, and discusses how desired product quality attributes can be maintained throughout product shelf-life by understanding the degradation mechanisms and formulation strategies. The mechanisms of various physical and chemical instabilities that the viral vector may encounter during its production and shelf-life because of various stressed conditions such as thermal, shear, freeze-thaw, and light exposure are highlighted. The role of buffer, pH, excipients, and impurities on the stability of viral vectors is also discussed. As such, the aim of this review is to outline the tools and a potential roadmap for improving the quality of AAV-based drug products by stressing the need for a mechanistic understanding of the involved processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arvind Srivastava
- Biopharma Production, Avantor, Inc., 1013 US Highway, 202/206, Bridgewater, NJ, United States.
| | - Krishna M G Mallela
- Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12850 East Montview Boulevard, MS C238-V20, Aurora, CO 80045, United States.
| | - Nandkumar Deorkar
- Biopharma Production, Avantor, Inc., 1013 US Highway, 202/206, Bridgewater, NJ, United States
| | - Ger Brophy
- Biopharma Production, Avantor, Inc., 1013 US Highway, 202/206, Bridgewater, NJ, United States
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Abdel Rahman F, d'Almeida S, Zhang T, Asadi M, Bozoglu T, Bongiovanni D, von Scheidt M, Dietzel S, Schwedhelm E, Hinkel R, Laugwitz KL, Kupatt C, Ziegler T. Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Attenuates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Pericyte Loss via Activation of Rho-A and MRTF-A. Thromb Haemost 2021; 121:341-350. [PMID: 33011963 DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1716844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The high mortality seen in sepsis is caused by a systemic hypotension in part owing to a drastic increase in vascular permeability accompanied by a loss of pericytes. As has been shown previously, pericyte retention in the perivascular niche during sepsis can enhance the integrity of the vasculature and promote survival via recruitment of adhesion proteins such as VE-cadherin and N-cadherin. Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) represents a lipid mediator regulating the deposition of the crucial adhesion molecule VE-cadherin at sites of interendothelial adherens junctions and of N-cadherin at endothelial-pericyte adherens junctions. Furthermore, in septic patients, S1P plasma levels are decreased and correlate with mortality in an indirectly proportional way. In the present study, we investigated the potential of S1P to ameliorate a lipopolysaccharide-induced septic hypercirculation in mice. Here we establish S1P as an antagonist of pericyte loss, vascular hyperpermeability, and systemic hypotension, resulting in an increased survival in mice. During sepsis S1P preserved VE-cadherin and N-cadherin deposition, mediated by a reduction of Src and cadherin phosphorylation. At least in part, this effect is mediated by a reduction of globular actin and a subsequent increase in nuclear translocation of MRTF-A (myocardin-related transcription factor A). These findings indicate that S1P may counteract pericyte loss and microvessel disassembly during sepsis and additionally emphasize the importance of pericyte-endothelial interactions to stabilize the vasculature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farah Abdel Rahman
- Klinik & Poliklinik für Innere Medizin I, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, TU Munich, Munich, Germany
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
| | - Sascha d'Almeida
- Klinik & Poliklinik für Innere Medizin I, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, TU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Tina Zhang
- Klinik & Poliklinik für Innere Medizin I, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, TU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Morad Asadi
- Klinik & Poliklinik für Innere Medizin I, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, TU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Tarik Bozoglu
- Klinik & Poliklinik für Innere Medizin I, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, TU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Dario Bongiovanni
- Klinik & Poliklinik für Innere Medizin I, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, TU Munich, Munich, Germany
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
| | - Moritz von Scheidt
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
- Klinik für Herz- und Kreislauferkrankungen, Deutsches Herzzentrum München, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Steffen Dietzel
- Walter-Brendl-Center for Experimental Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Edzard Schwedhelm
- Center for Experimental Medicine, Institute of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Rabea Hinkel
- Klinik & Poliklinik für Innere Medizin I, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, TU Munich, Munich, Germany
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
- Institute for Cardiovascular Prevention, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Karl Ludwig Laugwitz
- Klinik & Poliklinik für Innere Medizin I, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, TU Munich, Munich, Germany
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
| | - Christian Kupatt
- Klinik & Poliklinik für Innere Medizin I, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, TU Munich, Munich, Germany
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
| | - Tilman Ziegler
- Klinik & Poliklinik für Innere Medizin I, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, TU Munich, Munich, Germany
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
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Sullivan HL, Gianneschi NC, Christman KL. Targeted nanoscale therapeutics for myocardial infarction. Biomater Sci 2021; 9:1204-1216. [PMID: 33367371 PMCID: PMC7932032 DOI: 10.1039/d0bm01677b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Nanoscale therapeutics have promise for the administration of therapeutic small molecules and biologics to the heart following myocardial infarction. Directed delivery to the infarcted region of the heart using minimally invasive routes is critical to this promise. In this review, we will discuss the advances and design considerations for two nanoscale therapeutics engineered to target the infarcted heart, nanoparticles and adeno-associated viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly L Sullivan
- Department of Bioengineering and Sanford Consortium for Regenerative, Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, USA.
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Observing and Manipulating Cell-Specific Cardiac Function with Light. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021. [PMID: 33398827 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-15-8763-4_24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
The heart is a complex multicellular organ comprising both cardiomyocytes (CM), which make up the majority of the cardiac volume, and non-myocytes (NM), which represent the majority of cardiac cells. CM drive the pumping action of the heart, triggered via rhythmic electrical activity. NM, on the other hand, have many essential functions including generating extracellular matrix, regulating CM activity, and aiding in repair following injury. NM include neurons and interstitial, immune, and endothelial cells. Understanding the role of specific cell types and their interactions with one another may be key to developing new therapies with minimal side effects to treat cardiac disease. However, assessing cell-type-specific behavior in situ using standard techniques is challenging. Optogenetics enables population-specific observation and control, facilitating studies into the role of specific cell types and subtypes. Optogenetic models targeting the most important cardiac cell types have been generated and used to investigate non-canonical roles of those cell populations, e.g., to better understand how cardiac pacing occurs and to assess potential translational possibilities of optogenetics. So far, cardiac optogenetic studies have primarily focused on validating models and tools in the healthy heart. The field is now in a position where animal models and tools should be utilized to improve our understanding of the complex heterocellular nature of the heart, how this changes in disease, and from there to enable the development of cell-specific therapies and improved treatments.
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Development of an AAV9-RNAi-mediated silencing strategy to abrogate TRPM4 expression in the adult heart. Pflugers Arch 2021; 473:533-546. [PMID: 33580817 PMCID: PMC7940300 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-021-02521-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The cation channel transient receptor potential melastatin 4 (TRPM4) is a calcium-activated non-selective cation channel and acts in cardiomyocytes as a negative modulator of the L-type Ca2+ influx. Global deletion of TRPM4 in the mouse led to increased cardiac contractility under β-adrenergic stimulation. Consequently, cardiomyocyte-specific inactivation of the TRPM4 function appears to be a promising strategy to improve cardiac contractility in heart failure patients. The aim of this study was to develop a gene therapy approach in mice that specifically silences the expression of TRPM4 in cardiomyocytes. First, short hairpin RNAmiR30 (shRNAmiR30) sequences against the TRPM4 mRNA were screened in vitro using lentiviral transduction for a stable expression of the shRNA cassettes. Western blot analysis identified three efficient shRNAmiR30 sequences out of six, which reduced the endogenous TRPM4 protein level by up to 90 ± 6%. Subsequently, the most efficient shRNAmiR30 sequences were delivered into cardiomyocytes of adult mice using adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9)-mediated gene transfer. Initially, the AAV9 vector particles were administered via the lateral tail vein, which resulted in a downregulation of TRPM4 by 46 ± 2%. Next, various optimization steps were carried out to improve knockdown efficiency in vivo. First, the design of the expression cassette was streamlined for integration in a self-complementary AAV vector backbone for a faster expression. Compared to the application via the lateral tail vein, intravenous application via the retro-orbital sinus has the advantage that the vector solution reaches the heart directly and in a high concentration, and eventually a TRPM4 knockdown efficiency of 90 ± 7% in the heart was accomplished by this approach. By optimization of the shRNAmiR30 constructs and expression cassette as well as the route of AAV9 vector application, a 90% reduction of TRPM4 expression was achieved in the adult mouse heart. In the future, AAV9-RNAi-mediated inactivation of TRPM4 could be a promising strategy to increase cardiac contractility in preclinical animal models of acute and chronic forms of cardiac contractile failure.
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Zeng H, Wang L, Zhang J, Pan T, Yu Y, Lu J, Zhou P, Yang H, Li P. Activated PKB/GSK-3 β synergizes with PKC- δ signaling in attenuating myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury via potentiation of NRF2 activity: Therapeutic efficacy of dihydrotanshinone-I. Acta Pharm Sin B 2021; 11:71-88. [PMID: 33532181 PMCID: PMC7838031 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2020.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Disrupted redox status primarily contributes to myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI). NRF2, the endogenous antioxidant regulator, might provide therapeutic benefits. Dihydrotanshinone-I (DT) is an active component in Salvia miltiorrhiza with NRF2 induction potency. This study seeks to validate functional links between NRF2 and cardioprotection of DT and to investigate the molecular mechanism particularly emphasizing on NRF2 cytoplasmic/nuclear translocation. DT potently induced NRF2 nuclear accumulation, ameliorating post-reperfusion injuries via redox alterations. Abrogated cardioprotection in NRF2-deficient mice and cardiomyocytes strongly supports NRF2-dependent cardioprotection of DT. Mechanistically, DT phosphorylated NRF2 at Ser40, rendering its nuclear-import by dissociating from KEAP1 and inhibiting degradation. Importantly, we identified PKC-δ-(Thr505) phosphorylation as primary upstream event triggering NRF2-(Ser40) phosphorylation. Knockdown of PKC-δ dramatically retained NRF2 in cytoplasm, convincing its pivotal role in mediating NRF2 nuclear-import. NRF2 activity was further enhanced by activated PKB/GSK-3β signaling via nuclear-export signal blockage independent of PKC-δ activation. By demonstrating independent modulation of PKC-δ and PKB/GSK-3β/Fyn signaling, we highlight the ability of DT to exploit both nuclear import and export regulation of NRF2 in treating reperfusion injury harboring redox homeostasis alterations. Coactivation of PKC and PKB phenocopied cardioprotection of DT in vitro and in vivo, further supporting the potential applicability of this rationale.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Hua Yang
- Corresponding authors. Tel./fax: +86 25 83271379.
| | - Ping Li
- Corresponding authors. Tel./fax: +86 25 83271379.
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Schlesinger-Laufer M, Douvdevany G, Haimovich-Caspi L, Zohar Y, Shofty R, Kehat I. A simple adeno-associated virus-based approach for the generation of cardiac genetic models in rats. F1000Res 2020; 9:ISF-1441. [PMID: 33604024 PMCID: PMC7863997 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.27675.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Heart failure is a major health problem and progress in this field relies on better understanding of the mechanisms and development of novel therapeutics using animal models. The rat may be preferable to the mouse as a cardiovascular disease model due to its closer physiology to humans and due to its large size that facilitates surgical and monitoring procedures. However, unlike the mouse, genetic manipulation of the rat genome is challenging. Methods: Here we developed a simple, refined, and robust cardiac-specific rat transgenic model based on an adeno-associated virus (AAV) 9 containing a cardiac troponin T promoter. This model uses a single intraperitoneal injection of AAV and does not require special expertise or equipment. Results: We characterize the AAV dose required to achieve a high cardiac specific level of expression of a transgene in the rat heart using a single intraperitoneal injection to neonates. We show that at this AAV dose GFP expression does not result in hypertrophy, a change in cardiac function or other evidence for toxicity. Conclusions: The model shown here allows easy and fast transgenic based disease modeling of cardiovascular disease in the rat heart, and can also potentially be expanded to deliver Cas9 and gRNAs or to deliver small hairpin (sh)RNAs to also achieve gene knockouts and knockdown in the rat heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Schlesinger-Laufer
- The Pre-Clinical Research Authority Unit, The Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, 1 Efron Street, P.O. Box 9697, Haifa, 3109601, Israel
| | - Guy Douvdevany
- Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 1 Efron Street, P.O. Box 9697, Haifa, 3109601, Israel
| | - Lilac Haimovich-Caspi
- Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 1 Efron Street, P.O. Box 9697, Haifa, 3109601, Israel
| | - Yaniv Zohar
- Department of Pathology, Rambam Medical Center, HaAliya HaShniya St 8, Haifa, 3109601, Israel
| | - Rona Shofty
- The Pre-Clinical Research Authority Unit, The Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, 1 Efron Street, P.O. Box 9697, Haifa, 3109601, Israel
| | - Izhak Kehat
- Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 1 Efron Street, P.O. Box 9697, Haifa, 3109601, Israel
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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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Liu Z, Klose K, Neuber S, Jiang M, Gossen M, Stamm C. Comparative analysis of adeno-associated virus serotypes for gene transfer in organotypic heart slices. J Transl Med 2020; 18:437. [PMID: 33208161 PMCID: PMC7673099 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-020-02605-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Vectors derived from adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) are widely used for gene transfer both in vitro and in vivo and have gained increasing interest as shuttle systems to deliver therapeutic genes to the heart. However, there is little information on their tissue penetration and cytotoxicity, as well as the optimal AAV serotype for transferring genes to diseased hearts. Therefore, we aimed to establish an organotypic heart slice culture system for mouse left ventricular (LV) myocardium and use this platform to analyze gene transfer efficiency, cell tropism, and toxicity of different AAV serotypes. Methods LV tissue slices, 300 µm thick, were prepared from 15- to 17-day-old transgenic alpha-myosin heavy-chain-mCherry mice using a vibrating microtome. Tissue slice viability in air-liquid culture was evaluated by calcein-acetoxymethyl ester staining, mCherry fluorescence intensity, and the tetrazolium assay. Four recombinant AAV serotypes (1, 2, 6, 8) expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) under the CAG promoter were added to the slice surface. Gene transfer efficiency was quantified as the number of GFP-positive cells per slice. AAV cell tropism was examined by comparing the number of GFP-positive cardiomyocytes (CMs) and fibroblasts within heart slices. Results Slices retained viability in in vitro culture for at least 5 days. After adding AAV particles, AAV6-infected slices showed the highest number of GFP-expressing cells, almost exclusively CMs. Slice incubation with AAV1, 2, and 8 resulted in fewer GFP-positive cells, with AAV2 having the lowest gene transfer efficiency. None of the AAV serotypes tested caused significant cytotoxicity when compared to non-infected control slices. Conclusions We have established a readily available mouse organotypic heart slice culture model and provided evidence that AAV6 may be a promising gene therapy vector for heart failure and other cardiac diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihou Liu
- Berlin Institute of Health Center for Regenerative Therapies, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kristin Klose
- Berlin Institute of Health Center for Regenerative Therapies, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sebastian Neuber
- Berlin Institute of Health Center for Regenerative Therapies, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, German Heart Center Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,German Centre for Cardiovascular Research, Partner Site Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Meng Jiang
- Berlin Institute of Health Center for Regenerative Therapies, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Manfred Gossen
- Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies, Berlin, Germany.,Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Institute of Biomaterial Science, Teltow, Germany
| | - Christof Stamm
- Berlin Institute of Health Center for Regenerative Therapies, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany. .,Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, German Heart Center Berlin, Berlin, Germany. .,German Centre for Cardiovascular Research, Partner Site Berlin, Berlin, Germany. .,Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Institute of Biomaterial Science, Teltow, Germany.
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Cardiac Optogenetics in Atrial Fibrillation: Current Challenges and Future Opportunities. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 2020:8814092. [PMID: 33195698 PMCID: PMC7641281 DOI: 10.1155/2020/8814092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Although rarely life-threatening on short term, atrial fibrillation leads to increased mortality and decreased quality of life through its complications, including heart failure and stroke. Recent studies highlight the benefits of maintaining sinus rhythm. However, pharmacological long-term rhythm control strategies may be shadowed by associated proarrhythmic effects. At the same time, electrical cardioversion is limited to hospitals, while catheter ablation therapy, although effective, is invasive and is dedicated to specific patients, usually with low amounts of atrial fibrosis (preferably Utah I-II). Cardiac optogenetics allows influencing the heart's electrical activity by applying specific wavelength light pulses to previously engineered cardiomyocytes into expressing microbial derived light-sensitive proteins called opsins. The resulting ion influx may give rise to either hyperpolarizing or depolarizing currents, thus offering a therapeutic potential in cardiac electrophysiology, including pacing, resynchronization, and arrhythmia termination. Optogenetic atrial fibrillation cardioversion might be achieved by inducing a conduction block or filling of the excitable gap. The authors agree that transmural opsin expression and appropriate illumination with an exposure time longer than the arrhythmia cycle length are necessary to achieve successful arrhythmia termination. However, the efficiency and safety of biological cardioversion in humans remain to be seen, as well as side effects such as immune reactions and loss of opsin expression. The possibility of delivering pain-free shocks with out-of-hospital biological cardioversion is tempting; however, there are several issues that need to be addressed first: applicability and safety in humans, long-term behaviour, anticoagulation requirements, and fibrosis interactions.
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Han IC, Cheng JL, Burnight ER, Ralston CL, Fick JL, Thomsen GJ, Tovar EF, Russell SR, Sohn EH, Mullins RF, Stone EM, Tucker BA, Wiley LA. Retinal Tropism and Transduction of Adeno-Associated Virus Varies by Serotype and Route of Delivery (Intravitreal, Subretinal, or Suprachoroidal) in Rats. Hum Gene Ther 2020; 31:1288-1299. [PMID: 32948113 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2020.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Viral-mediated gene augmentation offers tremendous promise for the treatment of inherited retinal diseases. The development of effective gene therapy requires an understanding of the vector's tissue-specific behavior, which may vary depending on serotype, route of delivery, or target species. Using an ex vivo organotypic explant system, we previously demonstrated that retinal tropism and transduction of adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV2) vary significantly depending on serotype in human eyes. However, the ex vivo system has limited ability to assess route of ocular delivery, and relatively little literature exists on tropic differences between serotypes and routes of delivery in vivo. In this study, we demonstrate that retinal tropism and transduction efficiency of five different AAV2 serotypes (AAV2/1, AAV2/2, AAV2/6, AAV2/8, and AAV2/9) expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein driven by a cytomegalovirus promoter vary greatly depending on serotype and route of delivery (intravitreal, subretinal, or suprachoroidal) in rats. With subretinal delivery, all serotypes successfully transduced the retinal pigmented epithelium and outer nuclear layer (ONL), with AAV2/1 displaying the highest transduction efficiency and AAV2/2 and AAV2/6 showing lower ONL transduction. There was minimal transduction of the inner retina through subretinal delivery for any serotype. Tropism by suprachoroidal delivery mirrored that of subretinal delivery for all AAV serotypes but resulted in a wider distribution and greater ONL transduction. With intravitreal delivery, retinal transduction was seen primarily in the inner retina (retinal nerve fiber, ganglion cell, and inner nuclear layers) for AAV2/1 and AAV2/6, with AAV2/6 showing the highest transduction. When compared with data from human explant models, there are substantial differences in tropism and transduction that are important to consider when using rats as preclinical models for the development of ocular gene therapies for humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian C Han
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Justine L Cheng
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Erin R Burnight
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Christy L Ralston
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Jessica L Fick
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Gabriella J Thomsen
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Emilio F Tovar
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Stephen R Russell
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Elliott H Sohn
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Robert F Mullins
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Edwin M Stone
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Budd A Tucker
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Luke A Wiley
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
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Li J, Mamidi R, Doh CY, Holmes JB, Bharambe N, Ramachandran R, Stelzer JE. AAV9 gene transfer of cMyBPC N-terminal domains ameliorates cardiomyopathy in cMyBPC-deficient mice. JCI Insight 2020; 5:130182. [PMID: 32750038 PMCID: PMC7526450 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.130182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Decreased cardiac myosin-binding protein C (cMyBPC) expression due to inheritable mutations is thought to contribute to the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) phenotype, suggesting that increasing cMyBPC content is of therapeutic benefit. In vitro assays show that cMyBPC N-terminal domains (NTDs) contain structural elements necessary and sufficient to modulate actomyosin interactions, but it is unknown if they can regulate in vivo myocardial function. To test whether NTDs can recapitulate the effects of full-length (FL) cMyBPC in rescuing cardiac function in a cMyBPC-null mouse model of HCM, we assessed the efficacy of AAV9 gene transfer of a cMyBPC NTD that contained domains C0C2 and compared its therapeutic potential with AAV9-FL gene replacement. AAV9 vectors were administered systemically at neonatal day 1, when early-onset disease phenotypes begin to manifest. A comprehensive analysis of in vivo and in vitro function was performed following cMyBPC gene transfer. Our results show that a systemic injection of AAV9-C0C2 significantly improved cardiac function (e.g., 52.24 ± 1.69 ejection fraction in the C0C2-treated group compared with 40.07 ± 1.97 in the control cMyBPC–/– group, P < 0.05) and reduced the histopathologic signs of cardiomyopathy. Furthermore, C0C2 significantly slowed and normalized the accelerated cross-bridge kinetics found in cMyBPC–/– control myocardium, as evidenced by a 32.41% decrease in the rate of cross-bridge detachment (krel). Results indicate that C0C2 can rescue biomechanical defects of cMyBPC deficiency and that the NTD may be a target region for therapeutic myofilament kinetic manipulation. Cardiac function improves following AAV9-mediated delivery of the C0C2 domains of cardiac myosin-binding protein C in a mouse model of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
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Bezzerides VJ, Prondzynski M, Carrier L, Pu WT. Gene therapy for inherited arrhythmias. Cardiovasc Res 2020; 116:1635-1650. [PMID: 32321160 PMCID: PMC7341167 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvaa107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Inherited arrhythmias are disorders caused by one or more genetic mutations that increase the risk of arrhythmia, which result in life-long risk of sudden death. These mutations either primarily perturb electrophysiological homeostasis (e.g. long QT syndrome and catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia), cause structural disease that is closely associated with severe arrhythmias (e.g. hypertrophic cardiomyopathy), or cause a high propensity for arrhythmia in combination with altered myocardial structure and function (e.g. arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy). Currently available therapies offer incomplete protection from arrhythmia and fail to alter disease progression. Recent studies suggest that gene therapies may provide potent, molecularly targeted options for at least a subset of inherited arrhythmias. Here, we provide an overview of gene therapy strategies, and review recent studies on gene therapies for catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy caused by MYBPC3 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vassilios J Bezzerides
- Department of Cardiology, Boston Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Maksymilian Prondzynski
- Department of Cardiology, Boston Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Lucie Carrier
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Cardiovascular Research Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), partner site, Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, Hamburg, Germany
| | - William T Pu
- Department of Cardiology, Boston Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, 7 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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50
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Alomar FA, Al-Rubaish A, Al-Muhanna F, Al-Ali AK, McMillan J, Singh J, Bidasee KR. Adeno-Associated Viral Transfer of Glyoxalase-1 Blunts Carbonyl and Oxidative Stresses in Hearts of Type 1 Diabetic Rats. Antioxidants (Basel) 2020; 9:E592. [PMID: 32640624 PMCID: PMC7402150 DOI: 10.3390/antiox9070592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulation of methylglyoxal (MG) arising from downregulation of its primary degrading enzyme glyoxalase-1 (Glo1) is an underlying cause of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DC). This study investigated if expressing Glo1 in rat hearts shortly after the onset of Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) would blunt the development of DC employing the streptozotocin-induced T1DM rat model, an adeno-associated virus containing Glo1 driven by the endothelin-1 promoter (AAV2/9-Endo-Glo1), echocardiography, video edge, confocal imaging, and biochemical/histopathological assays. After eight weeks of T1DM, rats developed DC characterized by a decreased E:A ratio, fractional shortening, and ejection fraction, and increased isovolumetric relaxation time, E: e' ratio, and circumferential and longitudinal strains. Evoked Ca2+ transients and contractile kinetics were also impaired in ventricular myocytes. Hearts from eight weeks T1DM rats had lower Glo1 and GSH levels, elevated carbonyl/oxidative stress, microvascular leakage, inflammation, and fibrosis. A single injection of AAV2/9 Endo-Glo1 (1.7 × 1012 viron particles/kg) one week after onset of T1DM, potentiated GSH, and blunted MG accumulation, carbonyl/oxidative stress, microvascular leakage, inflammation, fibrosis, and impairments in cardiac and myocyte functions that develop after eight weeks of T1DM. These new data indicate that preventing Glo1 downregulation by administering AAV2/9-Endo-Glo1 to rats one week after the onset of T1DM, blunted the DC that develops after eight weeks of diabetes by attenuating carbonyl/oxidative stresses, microvascular leakage, inflammation, and fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fadhel A. Alomar
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Clinical Pharmacy, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah Al-Rubaish
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia; (A.A.-R.); (F.A.-M.)
| | - Fahad Al-Muhanna
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia; (A.A.-R.); (F.A.-M.)
| | - Amein K. Al-Ali
- Institute for Research and Medical Consultation, Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia;
| | - JoEllyn McMillan
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5800, USA;
- Environmental, Agricultural and Occupational Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5800, USA
| | - Jaipaul Singh
- College of Science and Technology, University of Central Lancashire, Preton PR1 2HE, England, UK;
| | - Keshore R. Bidasee
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5800, USA;
- Environmental, Agricultural and Occupational Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5800, USA
- Nebraska Redox Biology Center, Lincoln, NE 68588-0662, USA
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