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Touahri Y, Dixit R, Kofoed RH, Mikloska K, Park E, Raeisossadati R, Markham-Coultes K, David LA, Rijal H, Zhao J, Lynch M, Hynynen K, Aubert I, Schuurmans C. Focused ultrasound as a novel strategy for noninvasive gene delivery to retinal Müller glia. Theranostics 2020; 10:2982-2999. [PMID: 32194850 PMCID: PMC7053200 DOI: 10.7150/thno.42611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Müller glia are specialized retinal cells with stem cell properties in fish and frogs but not in mammals. Current efforts to develop gene therapies to activate mammalian Müller glia for retinal repair will require safe and effective delivery strategies for recombinant adeno-associated viruses (AAVs), vectors of choice for clinical translation. Intravitreal and subretinal injections are currently used for AAV gene delivery in the eye, but less invasive methods efficiently targeting Müller glia have yet to be developed. Methods: As gene delivery strategies have been more extensively studied in the brain, to validate our vectors, we initially compared the glial tropism of AAV-PHP.eB, an AAV9 that crosses the blood-brain and blood-retinal barriers, for its ability to drive fluorescent protein expression in glial cells in both the brain and retina. We then tested the glial transduction of AAV2/8-GFAP-mCherry, a virus that does not cross blood-brain and blood-retinal barriers, for its effectiveness in transducing Müller glia in murine retinal explants ex vivo. For in vivo assays we used larger rat eyes, performing invasive intravitreal injections, and non-invasive intravenous delivery using focused ultrasound (FUS) (pressure amplitude: 0.360 - 0.84 MPa) and microbubbles (Definity, 0.2 ml/kg). Results: We showed that AAV-PHP.eB carrying a ubiquitous promoter (CAG) and green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter, readily crossed the blood-brain and blood-retinal barriers after intravenous delivery in mice. However, murine Müller glia did not express GFP, suggesting that they were not transduced by AAV-PHP.eB. We thus tested an AAV2/8 variant, which was selected based on its safety record in multiple clinical trials, adding a glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) promoter and mCherry (red fluorescent protein) reporter. We confirmed the glial specificity of AAV2/8-GFAP-mCherry, showing effective expression of mCherry in astrocytes after intracranial injection in the mouse brain, and of Müller glia in murine retinal explants. For in vivo experiments we switched to rats because of their larger size, injecting AAV2/8-GFAP-mCherry intravitreally, an invasive procedure, demonstrating passage across the inner limiting membrane, leading to Müller glia transduction. We then tested an alternative non-invasive delivery approach targeting a different barrier - the inner blood-retinal-barrier, applying focused ultrasound (FUS) to the retina after intravenous injection of AAV2/8 and microbubbles in rats, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for FUS targeting. FUS permeabilized the rat blood-retinal-barrier and allowed the passage of macromolecules to the retina (Evans blue, IgG, IgM), with minimal extravasation of platelets and red blood cells. Intravenous injection of microbubbles and AAV2/8-GFAP-mCherry followed by FUS resulted in mCherry expression in rat Müller glia. However, systemic delivery of AAV2/8 also had off-target effects, transducing several murine peripheral organs, particularly the liver. Conclusions: Retinal permeabilisation via FUS in the presence of microbubbles is effective for delivering AAV2/8 across the inner blood-retinal-barrier, targeting Müller glia, which is less invasive than intravitreal injections that bypass the inner limiting membrane. However, implementing FUS in the clinic will require a comprehensive consideration of any off-target tropism of the AAV in peripheral organs, combined ideally, with the development of Müller glia-specific promoters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yacine Touahri
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rajiv Dixit
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rikke Hahn Kofoed
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kristina Mikloska
- Physical Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - EunJee Park
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Reza Raeisossadati
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kelly Markham-Coultes
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Luke Ajay David
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hibo Rijal
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jiayi Zhao
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Madelaine Lynch
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kullervo Hynynen
- Physical Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Isabelle Aubert
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Carol Schuurmans
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Abstract
Retinal degenerative diseases caused by photoreceptor cell death are major causes of irreversible vision loss. As only primates have a macula, the nonhuman primate (NHP) models have a crucial role not only in revealing biological mechanisms underlying high-acuity vision but also in the development of therapies. Successful translation of basic research findings into clinical trials and, moreover, approval of the first therapies for blinding inherited and age-related retinal dystrophies has been reported in recent years. This article explores the value of the NHP models in understanding human vision and reviews their contribution to the development of innovative therapeutic strategies to save and restore vision.
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Ortiz G, Vacca O, Bénard R, Dupas B, Sennlaub F, Guillonneau X, JA S, Tadayoni R, Rendon A, Giocanti-Aurégan A. Evidence of the involvement of dystrophin Dp71 in corneal angiogenesis. Mol Vis 2019; 25:714-721. [PMID: 31814696 PMCID: PMC6857772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 11/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of this study was to define the role of dystrophin Dp71 in corneal angiogenesis. METHODS Inflammation-induced corneal neovascularization experiments were performed in Dp71-null mice and C57BL/6J wild-type mice. RESULTS The corneal neovascular area covered by neovascularization was larger in the injured corneas of the Dp71-null mice compared to the corneas of the wild-type mice: 40.72% versus 26.33%, respectively (p<0.005). Moreover, increased angiogenesis was associated with a high expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Similarly, aortic ring assays showed a significant enhancement of the neovascular area. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that dystrophin Dp71 could play an important role as a negative regulator of corneal angiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Ortiz
- Sussex Eye Hospital - Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals, NHS Trust, UK
| | - Ophélie Vacca
- Neuroscience Paris-Saclay Institute (Neuro-PSI), Université Paris Sud, CNRS, Université Paris Saclay, Orsay, France
| | - Romain Bénard
- Institut De La Vision, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR_S, 968, Paris, France, Paris, France
| | - Bénédicte Dupas
- Ophthalmology Department, Hôpital Lariboisière, AP-HP, Université Paris 7, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 2 Rue Ambroise Paré, Paris, 75010, France
| | - Florian Sennlaub
- Institut De La Vision, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR_S, 968, Paris, France, Paris, France
| | - Xavier Guillonneau
- Institut De La Vision, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR_S, 968, Paris, France, Paris, France
| | - Sahel JA
- Institut De La Vision, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR_S, 968, Paris, France, Paris, France,Centre Hospitalier National d’ophtalmologie Des Quinze-Vingts, DHU View Maintain, Paris, France,Fondation Ophtalmologique Rothschild, Paris, France
| | - Ramin Tadayoni
- Institut De La Vision, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR_S, 968, Paris, France, Paris, France,Ophthalmology Department, Hôpital Lariboisière, AP-HP, Université Paris 7, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 2 Rue Ambroise Paré, Paris, 75010, France
| | - Alvaro Rendon
- Institut De La Vision, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR_S, 968, Paris, France, Paris, France
| | - Audrey Giocanti-Aurégan
- Institut De La Vision, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR_S, 968, Paris, France, Paris, France,Ophthalmology department, Avicenne hospital, DHU vision and handicaps, 125 rue de Stalingrad, Bobigny
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Attenuation of Inherited and Acquired Retinal Degeneration Progression with Gene-based Techniques. Mol Diagn Ther 2019; 23:113-120. [PMID: 30569401 DOI: 10.1007/s40291-018-0377-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Inherited retinal dystrophies cause progressive vision loss and are major contributors to blindness worldwide. Advances in gene therapy have brought molecular approaches into the realm of clinical trials for these incurable illnesses. Select phase I, II and III trials are complete and provide some promise in terms of functional outcomes and safety, although questions do remain over the durability of their effects and the prevalence of inflammatory reactions. This article reviews gene therapy as it can be applied to inherited retinal dystrophies, provides an update of results from recent clinical trials, and discusses the future prospects of gene therapy and genome surgery.
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Exosome-associated AAV2 vector mediates robust gene delivery into the murine retina upon intravitreal injection. Sci Rep 2017; 7:45329. [PMID: 28361998 PMCID: PMC5374486 DOI: 10.1038/srep45329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 02/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Widespread gene transfer to the retina is challenging as it requires vector systems to overcome physical and biochemical barriers to enter and diffuse throughout retinal tissue. We investigated whether exosome-associated adeno-associated virus, (exo-AAV) enabled broad retinal targeting following intravitreal (IVT) injection, as exosomes have been shown to traverse biological barriers and mediate widespread distribution upon systemic injection. We packaged an AAV genome encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP) into conventional AAV2 and exo-AAV2 vectors. Vectors were IVT injected into the eyes of adult mice. GFP expression was noninvasively monitored by fundus imaging and retinal expression was analyzed 4 weeks post-injection by qRT-PCR and histology. Exo-AAV2 outperformed conventional AAV2 in GFP expression based on fundus image analysis and qRT-PCR. Exo-AAV2 demonstrated deeper penetration in the retina, efficiently reaching the inner nuclear and outer plexiform, and to a lesser extent the outer nuclear layer. Cell targets were ganglion cells, bipolar cells, Müller cells, and photoreceptors. Exo-AAV2 serves as a robust gene delivery tool for murine retina, and the simplicity of production and isolation should make it widely applicable to basic research of the eye.
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Vacca O, Charles-Messance H, El Mathari B, Sene A, Barbe P, Fouquet S, Aragón J, Darche M, Giocanti-Aurégan A, Paques M, Sahel JA, Tadayoni R, Montañez C, Dalkara D, Rendon A. AAV-mediated gene therapy in Dystrophin-Dp71 deficient mouse leads to blood-retinal barrier restoration and oedema reabsorption. Hum Mol Genet 2016; 25:3070-3079. [PMID: 27288449 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddw159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2015] [Revised: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 05/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Dystrophin-Dp71 being a key membrane cytoskeletal protein, expressed mainly in Müller cells that provide a mechanical link at the Müller cell membrane by direct binding to actin and a transmembrane protein complex. Its absence has been related to blood-retinal barrier (BRB) permeability through delocalization and down-regulation of the AQP4 and Kir4.1 channels (1). We have previously shown that the adeno-associated virus (AAV) variant, ShH10, transduces Müller cells in the Dp71-null mouse retina efficiently and specifically (2,3). Here, we use ShH10 to restore Dp71 expression in Müller cells of Dp71 deficient mouse to study molecular and functional effects of this restoration in an adult mouse displaying retinal permeability. We show that strong and specific expression of exogenous Dp71 in Müller cells leads to correct localization of Dp71 protein restoring all protein interactions in order to re-establish a proper functional BRB and retina homeostasis thus preventing retina from oedema. This study is the basis for the development of new therapeutic strategies in dealing with diseases with BRB breakdown and macular oedema such as diabetic retinopathy (DR).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ophélie Vacca
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 75012 Paris, France .,Neuroscience Paris-Saclay Institute (NeuroPSI)-CNRS UMR 9197-Université Paris-Sud, Cognition & Behavior, 91405 Orsay cedex, France
| | - Hugo Charles-Messance
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Brahim El Mathari
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Abdoulaye Sene
- Department of Ophthalmology, Therapeutic, Saint Louis, MO 63103, USA
| | - Peggy Barbe
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Stéphane Fouquet
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Jorge Aragón
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 75012 Paris, France.,Department of Genetics & Molecular Biology, CINVESTAV: Research Centre for Advanced Studies, IPN, C.P. 07360 México
| | - Marie Darche
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Audrey Giocanti-Aurégan
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 75012 Paris, France.,Ophthalmology Department, Avicenne Hospital, 93000 Bobigny, France
| | - Michel Paques
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 75012 Paris, France.,CHNO des Quinze-Vingts, DHU Sight Restore, INSERM-DHOS CIC, 75012 Paris, France
| | - José-Alain Sahel
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 75012 Paris, France.,CHNO des Quinze-Vingts, DHU Sight Restore, INSERM-DHOS CIC, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Ramin Tadayoni
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 75012 Paris, France.,Ophthalmology Dept, Hôpital Lariboisière, AP-HP, Univ Paris Diderot, 75010 Paris, France
| | - Cecilia Montañez
- Department of Genetics & Molecular Biology, CINVESTAV: Research Centre for Advanced Studies, IPN, C.P. 07360 México
| | - Deniz Dalkara
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Alvaro Rendon
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 75012 Paris, France
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