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Aimiuwu OV, Fowler AM, Sah M, Teoh JJ, Kanber A, Pyne NK, Petri S, Rosenthal-Weiss C, Yang M, Harper SQ, Frankel WN. RNAi-Based Gene Therapy Rescues Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathy in a Genetic Mouse Model. Mol Ther 2020; 28:1706-1716. [PMID: 32353324 PMCID: PMC7335739 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2020.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE) associated with de novo variants in the gene encoding dynamin-1 (DNM1) is a severe debilitating disease with no pharmacological remedy. Like most genetic DEEs, the majority of DNM1 patients suffer from therapy-resistant seizures and comorbidities such as intellectual disability, developmental delay, and hypotonia. We tested RNAi gene therapy in the Dnm1 fitful mouse model of DEE using a Dnm1-targeted therapeutic microRNA delivered by a self-complementary adeno-associated virus vector. Untreated or control-injected fitful mice have growth delay, severe ataxia, and lethal tonic-clonic seizures by 3 weeks of age. These major impairments are mitigated following a single treatment in newborn mice, along with key underlying cellular features including gliosis, cell death, and aberrant neuronal metabolic activity typically associated with recurrent seizures. Our results underscore the potential for RNAi gene therapy to treat DNM1 disease and other genetic DEEs where treatment would require inhibition of the pathogenic gene product.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osasumwen V Aimiuwu
- Institute for Genomic Medicine and Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Allison M Fowler
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Megha Sah
- Institute for Genomic Medicine and Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Jia Jie Teoh
- Institute for Genomic Medicine and Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Ayla Kanber
- Institute for Genomic Medicine and Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Nettie K Pyne
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Sabrina Petri
- Institute for Genomic Medicine and Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Chana Rosenthal-Weiss
- Institute for Genomic Medicine and Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Mu Yang
- Institute for Genomic Medicine and Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Scott Q Harper
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA; Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Wayne N Frankel
- Institute for Genomic Medicine and Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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Song X, Zhang Y, Hou Z, Wu H, Lu S, Tang J, Chen X, Cui H, Li Y, Bi Y, Duan W, Li Z, Li C. Adeno-associated virus serotype 9 mediated vascular endothelial growth factor gene overexpression in mdx mice. Exp Ther Med 2017; 15:1825-1830. [PMID: 29434771 PMCID: PMC5776553 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2017.5610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a fatal neuromuscular disease caused by the absence of dystrophin. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a heparin-binding dimeric glycoprotein and principal angiogenic factor stimulating the migration, proliferation and expression of various genes in endothelial cells. Recently, VEGF was demonstrated to exhibit an antiapoptotic and direct myogenic effect, as well as to enhance muscle force restoration subsequent to traumatic injury. Therefore, the present study attempted to assess the muscle damage of VEGF overexpression in mdx mice. Adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9)-VEGF was administered intravenously to mdx mice. At 4 weeks after injection, VEGF was observed to be upregulated in the tibialis anterior muscle. In addition, the serum creatine kinase levels were significantly reduced and fatigue was slowed down, whereas the limb grip strength and weight of mice were markedly increased compared with the saline-treated mdx mice. Furthermore, significantly reduced inflammation and necrosis areas were observed in the muscle tissues of mice in the AAV9-VEGF group. These results suggested that AAV9-mediated VEGF gene overexpression was able to improve the muscle damage in mdx mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueqin Song
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050000, P.R. China.,Institute of Cardiocerebrovascular Disease, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050000, P.R. China.,Neurological Laboratory of Hebei, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050000, P.R. China
| | - Ya Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050000, P.R. China
| | - Zhigang Hou
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050000, P.R. China
| | - Hongran Wu
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050000, P.R. China.,Neurological Laboratory of Hebei, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050000, P.R. China
| | - Shan Lu
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050000, P.R. China
| | - Jin Tang
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050000, P.R. China
| | - Xuexiao Chen
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050000, P.R. China
| | - Hongying Cui
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050000, P.R. China
| | - Yuan Li
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050000, P.R. China
| | - Yue Bi
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050000, P.R. China.,Neurological Laboratory of Hebei, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050000, P.R. China
| | - Weisong Duan
- Neurological Laboratory of Hebei, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050000, P.R. China
| | - Zhongyao Li
- Neurological Laboratory of Hebei, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050000, P.R. China
| | - Chunyan Li
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050000, P.R. China.,Institute of Cardiocerebrovascular Disease, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050000, P.R. China.,Neurological Laboratory of Hebei, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050000, P.R. China
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