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Baek R, Coughlan K, Jiang L, Liang M, Ci L, Singh H, Zhang H, Kaushal N, Rajlic IL, Van L, Dimen R, Cavedon A, Yin L, Rice L, Frassetto A, Guey L, Finn P, Martini PGV. Characterizing the mechanism of action for mRNA therapeutics for the treatment of propionic acidemia, methylmalonic acidemia, and phenylketonuria. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3804. [PMID: 38714648 PMCID: PMC11076592 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47460-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics delivered via lipid nanoparticles hold the potential to treat metabolic diseases caused by protein deficiency, including propionic acidemia (PA), methylmalonic acidemia (MMA), and phenylketonuria (PKU). Herein we report results from multiple independent preclinical studies of mRNA-3927 (an investigational treatment for PA), mRNA-3705 (an investigational treatment for MMA), and mRNA-3210 (an investigational treatment for PKU) in murine models of each disease. All 3 mRNA therapeutics exhibited pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) responses in their respective murine model by driving mRNA, protein, and/or protein activity responses, as well as by decreasing levels of the relevant biomarker(s) when compared to control-treated animals. These preclinical data were then used to develop translational PK/PD models, which were scaled allometrically to humans to predict starting doses for first-in-human clinical studies for each disease. The predicted first-in-human doses for mRNA-3927, mRNA-3705, and mRNA-3210 were determined to be 0.3, 0.1, and 0.4 mg/kg, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rena Baek
- Moderna, Inc., 200 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | | | - Lei Jiang
- Moderna, Inc., 200 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Min Liang
- Moderna, Inc., 200 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Lei Ci
- Moderna, Inc., 200 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Harkewal Singh
- Moderna, Inc., 200 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Hannah Zhang
- Moderna, Inc., 200 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Neeraj Kaushal
- Moderna, Inc., 200 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | | | - Linh Van
- Moderna, Inc., 200 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Rain Dimen
- Moderna, Inc., 200 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | | | - Ling Yin
- Moderna, Inc., 200 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Lisa Rice
- Moderna, Inc., 200 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | | | - Lin Guey
- Moderna, Inc., 200 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
| | - Patrick Finn
- Moderna, Inc., 200 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
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Vogel KR, Arning E, Bottiglieri T, Gibson KM. Multicompartment analysis of protein-restricted phenylketonuric mice reveals amino acid imbalances in brain. J Inherit Metab Dis 2017; 40:227-235. [PMID: 27761676 DOI: 10.1007/s10545-016-9984-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Revised: 09/12/2016] [Accepted: 09/18/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mainstay of therapy for phenylketonuria (PKU) remains dietary protein restriction. Developmental and neurocognitive outcomes for patients, however, remain suboptimal. We tested the hypothesis that mice with PKU receiving protein-restricted diets would reveal disruptions of brain amino acids that shed light on these neurocognitive deficits. METHOD Phenylalanine hydroxylase-deficient (PKU) mice and parallel controls (both wild-type and heterozygous) were fed custom diets containing 18, 6, and 4 % protein for 3 weeks, after which tissues (brain, liver, sera) were collected for amino acid analysis profiling. RESULTS Phenylalanine (phe) was increased in all tissues (p < 0.0001) of PKU mice and improved with protein restriction. In sera, decreased tyrosine (p < 0.01) was corrected (defined as not significantly different from the level in control mice receiving 18 % chow) with protein restriction, whereas protein restriction significantly increased many other amino acids. A similar trend for increased amino acid levels with protein restriction was also observed in liver. In brain, the effects of protein restriction on large neutral amino acids (LNAAs) were variable, with some deficit correction (threonine, methionine, glutamine) and no correction of tyrosine under any dietary paradigm. Protein restriction (4 % diet) in PKU mice significantly decreased lysine, arginine, taurine, glutamate, asparagine, and serine which had been comparable to control mice under 18 % protein intake. CONCLUSION Depletion of taurine, glutamate, and serine in the brain of PKU mice with dietary protein restriction may provide new insight into neurocognitive deficits of PKU.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kara R Vogel
- Division of Experimental and Systems Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Washington State University, Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences Building, Room 347, 412 E. Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA, 99204, USA
| | - Erland Arning
- Kimberly H. Courtwright and Joseph W. Summers Institute of Metabolic Disease, Baylor Research Institute, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Teodoro Bottiglieri
- Kimberly H. Courtwright and Joseph W. Summers Institute of Metabolic Disease, Baylor Research Institute, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - K Michael Gibson
- Division of Experimental and Systems Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Washington State University, Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences Building, Room 347, 412 E. Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA, 99204, USA.
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Vig PJS, Hearst SM, Shao Q, Lopez ME. Knockdown of acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a) suppresses disease phenotype in SCA1 mouse model. THE CEREBELLUM 2015; 13:479-90. [PMID: 24788087 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-014-0563-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The mutated ataxin-1 protein in spinocerebellar ataxia 1 (SCA1) targets Purkinje cells (PCs) of the cerebellum and causes progressive ataxia due to loss of PCs and neurons of the brainstem. The exact mechanism of this cellular loss is still not clear. Currently, there are no treatments for SCA1; however, understanding of the mechanisms that regulate SCA1 pathology is essential for devising new therapies for SCA1 patients. We previously established a connection between the loss of intracellular calcium-buffering and calcium-signalling proteins with initiation of neurodegeneration in SCA1 transgenic (Tg) mice. Recently, acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a) have been implicated in calcium-mediated toxicity in many brain disorders. Here, we report generating SCA1 Tg mice in the ASIC1a knockout (KO) background and demonstrate that the deletion of ASIC1a gene expression causes suppression of the SCA1 disease phenotype. Loss of the ASIC1a channel in SCA1/ASIC1a KO mice resulted in the improvement of motor deficit and decreased PC degeneration. Interestingly, the expression of the ASIC1 variant, ASIC1b, was upregulated in the cerebellum of both SCA1/ASIC1a KO and ASIC1a KO animals as compared to the wild-type (WT) and SCA1 Tg mice. Further, these SCA1/ASIC1a KO mice exhibited translocation of PC calcium-binding protein calbindin-D28k from the nucleus to the cytosol in young animals, which otherwise have both cytosolic and nuclear localization. Furthermore, in addition to higher expression of calcium-buffering protein parvalbumin, PCs of the older SCA1/ASIC1a KO mice showed a decrease in morphologic abnormalities as compared to the age-matched SCA1 animals. Our data suggest that ASIC1a may be a mediator of SCA1 pathogenesis and targeting ASIC1a could be a novel approach to treat SCA1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parminder J S Vig
- Department of Neurology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA,
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Lin SH, Sun WH, Chen CC. Genetic exploration of the role of acid-sensing ion channels. Neuropharmacology 2015; 94:99-118. [PMID: 25582292 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2014] [Revised: 12/03/2014] [Accepted: 12/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Advanced gene targeting technology and related tools in mice have been incorporated into studies of acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs). A single ASIC subtype can be knocked out specifically and screened thoroughly for expression in the nervous system at the cellular level. Mapping studies have further shed light on the initiation and identification of related behavioral phenotypes. Here we review studies involving genetically engineered mouse models used to investigate the physiological function of individual ASIC subtypes: ASIC1 (and ASIC1a), ASIC2, ASIC3 and ASIC4. We discuss the detailed expression studies and significant phenotypes revealed with gene knockout for most known Asic subtypes. Each strategy designed to manipulate mouse genetics has advantages and disadvantages. We discuss the limitations of these Asic-knockout models and propose future directions to solve the genetic issues. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Acid-Sensing Ion Channels in the Nervous System'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shing-Hong Lin
- Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 114, Taiwan; Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan.
| | - Wei-Hsin Sun
- Department of Life Sciences, National Central University, Jhongli 32054, Taiwan.
| | - Chih-Cheng Chen
- Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 114, Taiwan; Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan; Taiwan Mouse Clinic, National Comprehensive Mouse Phenotyping and Drug Testing Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan.
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