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Cataldi MP, Vannoy CH, Blaeser A, Tucker JD, Leroy V, Rawls R, Killilee J, Holbrook MC, Lu QL. Improved efficacy of FKRP AAV gene therapy by combination with ribitol treatment for LGMD2I. Mol Ther 2023; 31:3478-3489. [PMID: 37919902 PMCID: PMC10727973 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the fukutin-related protein (FKRP) gene cause dystroglycanopathy, with disease severity ranging from mild LGMD2I to severe congenital muscular dystrophy. Recently, considerable progress has been made in developing experimental therapies, with adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy and ribitol treatment demonstrating significant therapeutic effect. However, each treatment has its strengths and weaknesses. AAV gene therapy can achieve normal levels of transgene expression, but it requires high doses, with toxicity concerns and variable distribution. Ribitol relies on residual FKRP function and restores limited levels of matriglycan. We hypothesized that these two treatments can work synergistically to offer an optimized therapy with efficacy and safety unmatched by each treatment alone. The most effective treatment is the combination of high-dose (5e-13 vg/kg) AAV-FKRP with ribitol, whereas low dose (1e-13 vg/kg) AAV-FKRP combined with ribitol showed a 22.6% increase in positive matriglycan fibers and the greater improvement in pathology when compared to low-dose AAV-FKRP alone. Together, our results support the potential benefits of combining ribitol with AAV gene therapy for treating FKRP-related muscular dystrophy. The fact that ribitol is a metabolite in nature and has already been tested in animal models and clinical trials in humans without severe side effects provides a safety profile for it to be trialed in combination with AAV gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela P Cataldi
- McColl-Lockwood Laboratory for Muscular Dystrophy Research, Cannon Research Center, Carolinas Medical Center, Atrium Health, Charlotte, NC 28203, USA.
| | - Charles H Vannoy
- McColl-Lockwood Laboratory for Muscular Dystrophy Research, Cannon Research Center, Carolinas Medical Center, Atrium Health, Charlotte, NC 28203, USA
| | - Anthony Blaeser
- McColl-Lockwood Laboratory for Muscular Dystrophy Research, Cannon Research Center, Carolinas Medical Center, Atrium Health, Charlotte, NC 28203, USA
| | - Jason D Tucker
- McColl-Lockwood Laboratory for Muscular Dystrophy Research, Cannon Research Center, Carolinas Medical Center, Atrium Health, Charlotte, NC 28203, USA
| | - Victoria Leroy
- McColl-Lockwood Laboratory for Muscular Dystrophy Research, Cannon Research Center, Carolinas Medical Center, Atrium Health, Charlotte, NC 28203, USA
| | - Raegan Rawls
- McColl-Lockwood Laboratory for Muscular Dystrophy Research, Cannon Research Center, Carolinas Medical Center, Atrium Health, Charlotte, NC 28203, USA
| | - Jessalyn Killilee
- McColl-Lockwood Laboratory for Muscular Dystrophy Research, Cannon Research Center, Carolinas Medical Center, Atrium Health, Charlotte, NC 28203, USA
| | - Molly C Holbrook
- McColl-Lockwood Laboratory for Muscular Dystrophy Research, Cannon Research Center, Carolinas Medical Center, Atrium Health, Charlotte, NC 28203, USA
| | - Qi Long Lu
- McColl-Lockwood Laboratory for Muscular Dystrophy Research, Cannon Research Center, Carolinas Medical Center, Atrium Health, Charlotte, NC 28203, USA.
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Wu B, Drains M, Shah SN, Lu PJ, Leroy V, Killilee J, Rawls R, Tucker JD, Blaeser A, Lu QL. Ribitol dose-dependently enhances matriglycan expression and improves muscle function with prolonged life span in limb girdle muscular dystrophy 2I mouse model. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0278482. [PMID: 36454905 PMCID: PMC9714851 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy 2I (LGMDR9) is one of the most common LGMD characterized by defects in glycosylation of α-dystroglycan (matriglycan) resulting from mutations of Fukutin-related protein (FKRP). There is no effective therapy currently available. We recently demonstrated that ribitol supplement increases levels of matriglycan in cells in vitro and in FKRP-P448L (P448L) mutant mouse model through drinking water administration. To be clinically relevant, we have now conducted a dose-escalating efficacy study by gavage in P448L mutant mice. Six months of ribitol treatment daily significantly rescued functions of skeletal, respiratory, and cardiac muscles dose-dependently. This was associated with a dose dependent increase in matriglycan and improvement in muscle pathology with reductions in muscle degeneration, inflammatory infiltration and fibrosis. Importantly, ribitol significantly increased life span and muscle functions of the female animals receiving treatment from 10 months of age. The only observed side effect was gastrointestinal tract bloating with loose stool and this effect is also dose dependent. The results validate the mechanism that ribitol as a pre-substrate of glycosyltransferase is able to compensate for the decreased function of mutant FKRP with restoration of matriglycan expression and provide a guidance for future clinical trial design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Wu
- McColl-Lockwood Laboratory for Muscular Dystrophy Research, Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail: (BW); (QLL)
| | - Morgan Drains
- McColl-Lockwood Laboratory for Muscular Dystrophy Research, Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Sapana N. Shah
- McColl-Lockwood Laboratory for Muscular Dystrophy Research, Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Pei Juan Lu
- McColl-Lockwood Laboratory for Muscular Dystrophy Research, Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Victoria Leroy
- McColl-Lockwood Laboratory for Muscular Dystrophy Research, Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Jessalyn Killilee
- McColl-Lockwood Laboratory for Muscular Dystrophy Research, Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Raegan Rawls
- McColl-Lockwood Laboratory for Muscular Dystrophy Research, Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Jason D. Tucker
- McColl-Lockwood Laboratory for Muscular Dystrophy Research, Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Anthony Blaeser
- McColl-Lockwood Laboratory for Muscular Dystrophy Research, Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Qi Long Lu
- McColl-Lockwood Laboratory for Muscular Dystrophy Research, Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail: (BW); (QLL)
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Abstract
The Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD is widely used in the assessment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The high face-validity of the scale may make it vulnerable to faking, however. The present study found that the scores of individuals instructed to respond "as if" they had PTSD did not differ from the scores of veterans with PTSD. Furthermore, although veterans who were diagnosed as having PTSD were found to have significantly higher Mississippi Scale scores than those who did not meet diagnostic criteria for PTSD, the mean score for all groups (veteran and non-veteran) exceeded the originally recommended diagnostic cut-off score of 107. A cutoff score of 121 was found to best differentiate veterans with PTSD from veterans who did not meet diagnostic criteria for the diagnosis, with high sensitivity but relatively low specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Lyons
- Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi 39216
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Clarke CR, Short CR, Usenik EA, Rawls R. Subcutaneously implanted tissue chambers: a pathophysiological study. Res Vet Sci 1989; 47:195-202. [PMID: 2508205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Tissue and fluid changes occurring within tissue chambers were characterised as a function of time after subcutaneous implantation in cattle. Cytological and chemical investigation revealed that the composition of fluid within chambers approached the theoretical composition of true interstitial fluid as time after implantation progressed. Erythrocyte and leucocyte numbers decreased sharply immediately after implantation and had reached stable numbers by 40 days after implantation. At this stage, chamber fluid samples had lower total protein and albumin concentrations, higher K+ and Cl- concentrations and lower pH than corresponding blood samples. Despite an ongoing low-grade chronic inflammatory reaction resulting in fibrous encapsulation of chambers, the vascularity of chamber tissue did not diminish with time after implantation. By 40 days after implantation, the cellular and chemical constituents had stabilised enough to allow use of the model to study drug distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- C R Clarke
- Department of Veterinary Physiology, Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge 70803
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Rawls R, Paulson GW. Retrolental fibroplasia in North Carolina. Evaluation of children in the Governor Morehead School (Raleigh). N C Med J 1966; 27:420-6. [PMID: 5231935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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