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Miao X, Lin J, Li A, Gao T, Liu T, Shen J, Sun Y, Wei J, Bao B, Zheng X. AAV-mediated VEGFA overexpression promotes angiogenesis and recovery of locomotor function following spinal cord injury via PI3K/Akt signaling. Exp Neurol 2024; 375:114739. [PMID: 38401852 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2024.114739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a disorder of the central nervous system resulting from various factors such as trauma, inflammation, tumors, and other etiologies. This condition leads to impairment in motor, sensory, and autonomic functions below the level of injury. Limitations of current therapeutic approaches prompt an investigation into therapeutic angiogenesis through persistent local expression of proangiogenic factors. Here, we investigated whether overexpression of adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) in mouse SCI promoted locomotor function recovery, and whether the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) pathway was mechanistically involved. Three weeks before SCI, AAV-VEGFA was injected at the T10 level to induce VEGFA overexpression. Neurofunctional, histological, and biochemical assessments were done to determine tissue damage and/or recovery of neuromuscular and behavioral impairments. Daily injections of the PI3K/Akt pathway inhibitor LY294002 were made to assess a possible mechanism. AAV-VEGFA overexpression dramatically improved locomotor function and ameliorated pathological injury caused by SCI. Improved motor-evoked potentials in hindlimbs and more spinal CD31-positive microvessels were observed in AAV-VEGFA-overexpressing mice. LY294002 reduced PI3K and Akt phosphorylation levels and attenuated AAV-VEGFA-related improvements. In conclusion, sustained local AAV-mediated VEGFA overexpression in spinal cord can significantly promote angiogenesis and ameliorate locomotor impairment after SCI in a contusion mouse model through activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Miao
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; National Center for Orthopaedics, Shanghai, China
| | - Junqing Lin
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; National Center for Orthopaedics, Shanghai, China
| | - Ang Li
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; National Center for Orthopaedics, Shanghai, China
| | - Tao Gao
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; National Center for Orthopaedics, Shanghai, China
| | - Tiexin Liu
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; National Center for Orthopaedics, Shanghai, China
| | - Junjie Shen
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; National Center for Orthopaedics, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Sun
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; National Center for Orthopaedics, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiabao Wei
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; National Center for Orthopaedics, Shanghai, China
| | - Bingbo Bao
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; National Center for Orthopaedics, Shanghai, China
| | - Xianyou Zheng
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; National Center for Orthopaedics, Shanghai, China.
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2
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Muczynski V, Nathwani AC. AAV mediated gene therapy for haemophilia B: From the early attempts to modern trials. Thromb Res 2024; 236:242-249. [PMID: 38383218 DOI: 10.1016/j.thromres.2020.12.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Early gene therapy clinical trials for the treatment of Haemophilia B have been instrumental to our global understanding of gene therapy and have significantly contributed to the rapid expansion of the field. The use of adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) as vectors for gene transfer has successfully led to therapeutic expression of coagulation factor IX (FIX) in severe haemophilia B patients. Expression of FIX has remained stable following a single administration of vector for up to 8 years at levels that are clinically relevant to reduce the incidence of spontaneous bleeds and have permitted a significant change in the disease management with reduction or elimination of the need for coagulation factor concentrates. These trials have also shed light on several concerns around AAV-mediated gene transfer such as the high prevalence of pre-existing immunity against the vector capsid as well as the elevation of liver transaminases that is associated with a loss of FIX transgene expression in some patients. However, this field is advancing very rapidly with the development of increasingly more efficient strategies to overcome some of these obstacles and importantly raise the possibility of a functional cure, which has been long sought after. This review overviews the evolution of gene therapy for haemophilia B over the last two decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Muczynski
- Department of Haematology, University College London - Cancer Institute, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Amit C Nathwani
- Department of Haematology, University College London - Cancer Institute, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; Katharine Dormandy Haemophilia and Thrombosis Unit, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; Freeline Therapeutics Ltd., United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
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3
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Kasimsetty A, Sabatino DE. Integration and the risk of liver cancer-Is there a real risk? J Viral Hepat 2024; 31 Suppl 1:26-34. [PMID: 38606944 DOI: 10.1111/jvh.13915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene therapies are in clinical development for haemophilia and other genetic diseases. Since the recombinant AAV genome primarily remains episomal, it provides the opportunity for long-term expression in tissues that are not proliferating and reduces the safety concerns compared with integrating viral vectors. However, AAV integration events are detected at a low frequency. Preclinical studies in mouse models have reported hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after systemic AAV administration in some settings, though this has not been reported in large animal models. The risk of HCC or other cancers after AAV gene therapy in clinical studies thus remains theoretical. Potential risk factors for HCC after gene therapy are beginning to be elucidated through animal studies, but their relevance to human studies remains unknown. Studies to investigate the factors that may influence the risk of oncogenesis as well as detailed investigation of cases of cancer in AAV gene therapy patients will be important to define the potential risk of AAV genotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aradhana Kasimsetty
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Denise E Sabatino
- The Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Division of Hematology, Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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4
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Loeb EJ, Havlik PL, Elmore ZC, Rosales A, Fergione SM, Gonzalez TJ, Smith TJ, Benkert AR, Fiflis DN, Asokan A. Capsid-mediated control of adeno-associated viral transcription determines host range. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113902. [PMID: 38431840 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is a member of the genus Dependoparvovirus, which infects a wide range of vertebrate species. Here, we observe that, unlike most primate AAV isolates, avian AAV is transcriptionally silenced in human cells. By swapping the VP1 N terminus from primate AAVs (e.g., AAV8) onto non-mammalian isolates (e.g., avian AAV), we identify a minimal component of the AAV capsid that controls viral transcription and unlocks robust transduction in both human cells and mouse tissue. This effect is accompanied by increased AAV genome chromatin accessibility and altered histone methylation. Proximity ligation analysis reveals that host factors are selectively recruited by the VP1 N terminus of AAV8 but not avian AAV. Notably, these include AAV essential factors implicated in the nuclear factor κB pathway, chromatin condensation, and histone methylation. We postulate that the AAV capsid has evolved mechanisms to recruit host factors to its genome, allowing transcriptional activation in a species-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ezra J Loeb
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Patrick L Havlik
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Zachary C Elmore
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Alan Rosales
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Sophia M Fergione
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Trevor J Gonzalez
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Timothy J Smith
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Abigail R Benkert
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - David N Fiflis
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Aravind Asokan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
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5
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Xie Y, Butler M. N-glycomic profiling of capsid proteins from Adeno-Associated Virus serotypes. Glycobiology 2024; 34:cwad074. [PMID: 37774344 PMCID: PMC10950483 DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cwad074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector has become the leading platform for gene delivery. Each serotype exhibits a different tissue tropism, immunogenicity, and in vivo transduction performance. Therefore, selecting the most suitable AAV serotype is critical for efficient gene delivery to target cells or tissues. Genome divergence among different serotypes is due mainly to the hypervariable regions of the AAV capsid proteins. However, the heterogeneity of capsid glycosylation is largely unexplored. In the present study, the N-glycosylation profiles of capsid proteins of AAV serotypes 1 to 9 have been systemically characterized and compared using a previously developed high-throughput and high-sensitivity N-glycan profiling platform. The results showed that all 9 investigated AAV serotypes were glycosylated, with comparable profiles. The most conspicuous feature was the high abundance mannosylated N-glycans, including FM3, M5, M6, M7, M8, and M9, that dominated the chromatograms within a range of 74 to 83%. Another feature was the relatively lower abundance of fucosylated and sialylated N-glycan structures, in the range of 23%-40% and 10%-17%, respectively. However, the exact N-glycan composition differed. These differences may be utilized to identify potential structural relationships between the 9 AAV serotypes. The current research lays the foundation for gaining better understanding of the importance of N-glycans on the AAV capsid surface that may play a significant role in tissue tropism, interaction with cell surface receptors, cellular uptake, and intracellular processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongjing Xie
- National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Foster Avenue, Mount Merrion, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, A94 X099, Ireland
| | - Michael Butler
- National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Foster Avenue, Mount Merrion, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, A94 X099, Ireland
- School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, University College Dublin (UCD), Belfield, Dublin 4, D04 V1W8, Ireland
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Zhao Y, Liu W, Li Y, Ma J, Liu T, Cui H, Deng Y, Liao X, Wang Z. Human Bocavirus 1 NP1 acts as an ssDNA-binding protein to help AAV2 DNA replication and cooperates with RPA to regulate AAV2 capsid expression. J Virol 2024; 98:e0151523. [PMID: 38323812 PMCID: PMC10949510 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01515-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) requires co-infection with helper virus for efficient replication. We previously reported that Human Bocavirus 1 (HBoV1) genes, including NP1, NS2, and BocaSR, were critical for AAV2 replication. Here, we first demonstrate the essential roles of the NP1 protein in AAV2 DNA replication and protein expression. We show that NP1 binds to single-strand DNA (ssDNA) at least 30 nucleotides (nt) in length in a sequence-independent manner. Furthermore, NP1 colocalized with the BrdU-labeled AAV2 DNA replication center, and the loss of the ssDNA-binding ability of NP1 by site-directed mutation completely abolished AAV2 DNA replication. We used affinity-tagged NP1 protein to identify host cellular proteins associated with NP1 in cells cotransfected with the HBoV1 helper genes and AAV2 duplex genome. Of the identified proteins, we demonstrate that NP1 directly binds to the DBD-F domain of the RPA70 subunit with a high affinity through the residues 101-121. By reconstituting the heterotrimer protein RPA in vitro using gel filtration, we demonstrate that NP1 physically associates with RPA to form a heterologous complex characterized by typical fast-on/fast-off kinetics. Following a dominant-negative strategy, we found that NP1-RPA complex mainly plays a role in expressing AAV2 capsid protein by enhancing the transcriptional activity of the p40 promoter. Our study revealed a novel mechanism by which HBoV1 NP1 protein supports AAV2 DNA replication and capsid protein expression through its ssDNA-binding ability and direct interaction with RPA, respectively.IMPORTANCERecombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors have been extensively used in clinical gene therapy strategies. However, a limitation of these gene therapy strategies is the efficient production of the required vectors, as AAV alone is replication-deficient in the host cells. HBoV1 provides the simplest AAV2 helper genes consisting of NP1, NS2, and BocaSR. An important question regarding the helper function of HBoV1 is whether it provides any direct function that supports AAV2 DNA replication and protein expression. Also of interest is how HBoV1 interplays with potential host factors to constitute a permissive environment for AAV2 replication. Our studies revealed that the multifunctional protein NP1 plays important roles in AAV2 DNA replication via its sequence-independent ssDNA-binding ability and in regulating AAV2 capsid protein expression by physically interacting with host protein RPA. Our findings present theoretical guidance for the future application of the HBoV1 helper genes in the rAAV vector production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanqun Zhao
- Joint National Laboratory for Antibody Drug Engineering, The First Affiliated Hospital, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Joint National Laboratory for Antibody Drug Engineering, The First Affiliated Hospital, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, China
| | - Yanjie Li
- Joint National Laboratory for Antibody Drug Engineering, The First Affiliated Hospital, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, China
| | - Jing Ma
- Joint National Laboratory for Antibody Drug Engineering, The First Affiliated Hospital, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, China
| | - Ting Liu
- Joint National Laboratory for Antibody Drug Engineering, The First Affiliated Hospital, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, China
| | - Huichan Cui
- Joint National Laboratory for Antibody Drug Engineering, The First Affiliated Hospital, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, China
| | - Yongheng Deng
- Joint National Laboratory for Antibody Drug Engineering, The First Affiliated Hospital, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, China
| | - Xiaochen Liao
- Joint National Laboratory for Antibody Drug Engineering, The First Affiliated Hospital, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, China
| | - Zekun Wang
- Joint National Laboratory for Antibody Drug Engineering, The First Affiliated Hospital, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, China
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7
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Song JY, Farkas T. Adeno-associated virus analysis by size exclusion chromatography within 3 minutes using short bio-inert columns made with 3 µm particles operated at high flowrates. J Chromatogr A 2024; 1718:464684. [PMID: 38350350 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2024.464684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) analytical characterization is crucial to the well-defined and reproducible production of human gene therapies utilizing the AAV vector modality. The establishment of analytical methods based upon technology platforms currently widely used by bio-therapeutic manufacturers, namely HPLC, will assist efforts to produce high quality AAV reproducibly and decrease chemical manufacturing and control challenges in method portability and reliability. AAV analysis by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) is currently practiced with columns and mobile phase conditions traditional to SEC of proteins. Here, an improved method to measure multiple AVV critical quality attributes (CQA) rapidly by SEC is explored. The use of short columns made with small particles at high flow rates resulted in up to 80 % reduction in analysis time and 66 % in sample consumption while maintaining reliable quantitation of AAV aggregate or high molecular weight (HMW) content. These results were demonstrated across four different AAV serotypes. Furthermore, critical AAV sample handling learnings are shared.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Y Song
- Phenomenex Inc., 411 Madrid Avenue, Torrance, CA 90501, USA
| | - Tivadar Farkas
- Phenomenex Inc., 411 Madrid Avenue, Torrance, CA 90501, USA.
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8
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Qin X, Li X, Chen L, Gao T, Luo J, Guo L, Mollah S, Zhang Z, Zhou Y, Chen HX. Characterization of Adeno-Associated Virus Capsid Proteins by Microflow Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Mass Spectrometry. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 2024; 196:1623-1635. [PMID: 37436544 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-023-04656-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) has been widely used to treat various human diseases as an important delivery vector for gene therapy due to its low immunogenicity and safety. AAV capsids proteins are comprised of three capsid viral proteins (VP; VP1, VP2, VP3). The capsid proteins play a key role in viral vector infectivity and transduction efficiency. To ensure the safety and efficacy of AAV gene therapy products, the quality of AAV vector capsid proteins during development and production should be carefully monitored and controlled. Microflow liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry provides superior sensitivity and fast analysis capability. It showed significant advantages in the analysis of low- concentration and large numbers of AAV samples. The intact mass of capsid protein can be accurately determined using high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS). And MS also provides highly confident confirmation of sequence coverage and post-translational modifications site identification and quantitation. In this study, we used microflow liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for the characterization of AAV2 capsid protein. we obtained nearly 100% sequence coverage of low-concentration AAV2 capsid protein (8 × 1011 GC/mL). More than 30 post-translational modifications (PTMs) sites were identified, the PTMs types included deamidation, oxidation and acetylation. From this study, the proposed microflow LC-MS/MS method provides a sensitive and high throughput approach in the characterization of AAVs and other biological products with low abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Qin
- Division of Recombinant Biological Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), Beijing, 100501, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiang Li
- Division of Recombinant Biological Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), Beijing, 100501, People's Republic of China
| | | | - Tie Gao
- SCIEX, Beijing, 100015, People's Republic of China
| | - Ji Luo
- SCIEX, Beijing, 100015, People's Republic of China
| | - Lihai Guo
- SCIEX, Beijing, 100015, People's Republic of China
| | | | | | - Yong Zhou
- Division of Recombinant Biological Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), Beijing, 100501, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hong-Xu Chen
- SCIEX, Beijing, 100015, People's Republic of China.
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9
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Coyle CW, Knight KA, Brown HC, George SN, Denning G, Branella GM, Childers KC, Spiegel PC, Spencer HT, Doering CB. Humanization and functional characterization of enhanced coagulation factor IX variants identified through ancestral sequence reconstruction. J Thromb Haemost 2024; 22:633-644. [PMID: 38016519 PMCID: PMC10922771 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtha.2023.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Laboratory resurrection of ancient coagulation factor (F) IX variants generated through ancestral sequence reconstruction led to the discovery of a FIX variant, designated An96, which possesses enhanced specific activity independent of and additive to that provided by human p.Arg384Lys, referred to as FIX-Padua. OBJECTIVES The goal of the current study was to identify the amino acid substitution(s) responsible for the enhanced activity of An96 and create a humanized An96 FIX transgene for gene therapy application. METHODS Reductionist screening approaches, including domain swapping and scanning residue substitution, were used and guided by one-stage FIX activity assays. In vitro characterization of top candidates included recombinant high-purity preparation, specific activity determination, and enzyme kinetic analysis. Final candidates were packaged into adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors and delivered to hemophilia B mice. RESULTS Five of 42 total amino acid substitutions in An96 appear sufficient to retain the enhanced activity of An96 in an otherwise human FIX variant. Additional substitution of the Padua variant further increased the specific activity 5-fold. This candidate, designated ET9, demonstrated 51-fold greater specific activity than hFIX. AAV2/8-ET9 treated hemophilia B mice produced plasma FIX activities equivalent to those observed previously for AAV2/8-An96-Padua, which were 10-fold higher than AAV2/8-hFIX-Padua. CONCLUSION Starting from computationally inferred ancient FIX sequences, novel amino acid substitutions conferring activity enhancement were identified and translated into an AAV-FIX gene therapy cassette demonstrating high potency. This ancestral sequence reconstruction discovery and sequence mapping refinement approach represents a promising platform for broader protein drug and gene therapy candidate optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher W Coyle
- Molecular and Systems Pharmacology Graduate Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Kristopher A Knight
- Molecular and Systems Pharmacology Graduate Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | | | | | - Gianna M Branella
- Cancer Biology Graduate Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Kenneth C Childers
- Chemistry Department, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington, USA
| | - P Clint Spiegel
- Chemistry Department, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington, USA
| | - H Trent Spencer
- Cell and Gene Therapy Program, Department of Pediatrics, Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Christopher B Doering
- Cell and Gene Therapy Program, Department of Pediatrics, Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
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10
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Han S, Xu Z, Wang S, Tang H, Hu S, Wang H, Guan G, Shu Y. Distributional comparison of different AAV vectors after unilateral cochlear administration. Gene Ther 2024; 31:154-164. [PMID: 38097651 DOI: 10.1038/s41434-023-00431-z] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2024]
Abstract
The adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy has been widely applied to mouse models for deafness. But, AAVs could transduce non-targeted organs after inner ear delivery due to their low cell-type specificity. This study compares transgene expression and biodistribution of AAV1, AAV2, Anc80L65, AAV9, AAV-PHP.B, and AAV-PHP.eB after round window membrane (RWM) injection in neonatal mice. The highest virus concentration was detected in the injected cochlea. AAV2, Anc80L65, AAV9, AAV-PHP.B, and AAV-PHP.eB transduced both inner hair cells (IHCs) and outer hair cells (OHCs) with high efficiency, while AAV1 transduced IHCs with high efficiency but OHCs with low efficiency. All AAV subtypes finitely transduced contralateral inner ear, brain, heart, and liver compared with the injected cochlea. In most brain regions, the enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) expression of AAV1 and AAV2 was lower than that of other four subtypes. We suggested the cochlear aqueduct might be one of routes for vectors instantaneously infiltrating into the brain from the cochlea through a dye tracking test. In summary, our results provide available data for further investigating the biodistribution of vectors through local inner ear injection and afford a reference for selecting AAV serotypes for gene therapy toward deafness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Han
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130000, PR China
- ENT institute and Otorhinolaryngology Department of Eye & ENT Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200031, PR China
- Institutes of Biomedical Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, PR China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine (Fudan University), Shanghai, 200031, PR China
| | - Zhijiao Xu
- ENT institute and Otorhinolaryngology Department of Eye & ENT Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200031, PR China
- Institutes of Biomedical Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, PR China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine (Fudan University), Shanghai, 200031, PR China
| | - Shengyi Wang
- ENT institute and Otorhinolaryngology Department of Eye & ENT Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200031, PR China
- Institutes of Biomedical Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, PR China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine (Fudan University), Shanghai, 200031, PR China
| | - Honghai Tang
- ENT institute and Otorhinolaryngology Department of Eye & ENT Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200031, PR China
- Institutes of Biomedical Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, PR China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine (Fudan University), Shanghai, 200031, PR China
| | - Shaowei Hu
- ENT institute and Otorhinolaryngology Department of Eye & ENT Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200031, PR China
- Institutes of Biomedical Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, PR China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine (Fudan University), Shanghai, 200031, PR China
| | - Hui Wang
- ENT institute and Otorhinolaryngology Department of Eye & ENT Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200031, PR China
- Institutes of Biomedical Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, PR China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine (Fudan University), Shanghai, 200031, PR China
| | - Guofang Guan
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130000, PR China.
| | - Yilai Shu
- ENT institute and Otorhinolaryngology Department of Eye & ENT Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200031, PR China.
- Institutes of Biomedical Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, PR China.
- NHC Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine (Fudan University), Shanghai, 200031, PR China.
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11
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Kolesnik VV, Nurtdinov RF, Oloruntimehin ES, Karabelsky AV, Malogolovkin AS. Optimization strategies and advances in the research and development of AAV-based gene therapy to deliver large transgenes. Clin Transl Med 2024; 14:e1607. [PMID: 38488469 PMCID: PMC10941601 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.1607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based therapies are recognized as one of the most potent next-generation treatments for inherited and genetic diseases. However, several biological and technological aspects of AAV vectors remain a critical issue for their widespread clinical application. Among them, the limited capacity of the AAV genome significantly hinders the development of AAV-based gene therapy. In this context, genetically modified transgenes compatible with AAV are opening up new opportunities for unlimited gene therapies for many genetic disorders. Recent advances in de novo protein design and remodelling are paving the way for new, more efficient and targeted gene therapeutics. Using computational and genetic tools, AAV expression cassette and transgenic DNA can be split, miniaturized, shuffled or created from scratch to mediate efficient gene transfer into targeted cells. In this review, we highlight recent advances in AAV-based gene therapy with a focus on its use in translational research. We summarize recent research and development in gene therapy, with an emphasis on large transgenes (>4.8 kb) and optimizing strategies applied by biomedical companies in the research pipeline. We critically discuss the prospects for AAV-based treatment and some emerging challenges. We anticipate that the continued development of novel computational tools will lead to rapid advances in basic gene therapy research and translational studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria V. Kolesnik
- Martsinovsky Institute of Medical ParasitologyTropical and Vector‐Borne Diseases, Sechenov UniversityMoscowRussia
| | - Ruslan F. Nurtdinov
- Martsinovsky Institute of Medical ParasitologyTropical and Vector‐Borne Diseases, Sechenov UniversityMoscowRussia
| | - Ezekiel Sola Oloruntimehin
- Martsinovsky Institute of Medical ParasitologyTropical and Vector‐Borne Diseases, Sechenov UniversityMoscowRussia
| | | | - Alexander S. Malogolovkin
- Martsinovsky Institute of Medical ParasitologyTropical and Vector‐Borne Diseases, Sechenov UniversityMoscowRussia
- Center for Translational MedicineSirius University of Science and TechnologySochiRussia
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12
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Hayashi Y, Sehara Y, Watano R, Ohba K, Takayanagi Y, Sakiyama Y, Muramatsu K, Mizukami H. Therapeutic Strategy for Fabry Disease by Intravenous Administration of Adeno-Associated Virus 9 in a Symptomatic Mouse Model. Hum Gene Ther 2024; 35:192-201. [PMID: 38386497 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2023.106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Fabry disease (FD) is an inherited lysosomal storage disease caused by deficiency of α-galactosidase A (α-Gal A), an enzyme that hydrolyzes glycosphingolipids in lysosome. Accumulation of glycosphingolipids, mainly globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) in tissues, induces cellular dysfunction leading to multi-organ disorder. Gene therapy is a promising strategy that can overcome these problems, and virus vectors such as adeno-associated virus (AAV) have been used for study on gene therapy. We used human Gb3 synthetase-transgenic (TgG3S)/α-Gal A knockout (GLAko) mice. TgG3S/GLAko mice have elevated Gb3 accumulation in the major organs compared with GLAko mice, which have been widely used as a model for FD. At the age of 6 weeks, male TgG3S/GLAko were injected with 2 × 1012 vector genome AAV9 vectors containing human α-Gal A cDNA. Eight weeks after intravenous injection of AAV, α-Gal A enzymatic activity was elevated in the plasma, heart, and liver of TgG3S/GLAko mice to levels corresponding to 224%, 293%, and 105% of wild-type, respectively. Gb3 amount 8 weeks after AAV injection in the heart and liver of this group was successfully reduced to levels corresponding to 16% and 3% of untreated TgG3S/GLAko mice. Although the brain and kidney of AAV9-treated TgG3S/GLAko mice showed no significant increases in α-Gal A activity, Gb3 amount was smaller than untreated littermates (48% and 44%, respectively). In this study, systemic AAV administration did not show significant extension of the lifespan of TgG3S/GLAko mice compared with the untreated littermates. The timing of AAV injection, capsid choice, administration route, and injection volume may be important to achieve sufficient expression of α-Gal A in the whole body for the amelioration of lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuka Hayashi
- Division of Genetic Therapeutics, Center for Molecular Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Japan
- Department of Neurology, Jichi Medical University Saitama Medical Center, Omiya, Japan
| | - Yoshihide Sehara
- Division of Genetic Therapeutics, Center for Molecular Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Japan
| | - Ryota Watano
- Division of Genetic Therapeutics, Center for Molecular Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Japan
| | - Kenji Ohba
- Division of Genetic Therapeutics, Center for Molecular Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Japan
| | - Yuki Takayanagi
- Division of Brain and Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Japan
| | - Yoshio Sakiyama
- Department of Neurology, Jichi Medical University Saitama Medical Center, Omiya, Japan
| | | | - Hiroaki Mizukami
- Division of Genetic Therapeutics, Center for Molecular Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Japan
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13
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Zhang T, Jiang Z, Wu Y, Li Q, Liu C, Zhang Y, Liu Q. [Production of adeno-associated virus in insect cells using multiple gene deleted baculovirus]. Sheng Wu Gong Cheng Xue Bao 2024; 40:473-484. [PMID: 38369834 DOI: 10.13345/j.cjb.230325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is one of the most frequently used viral vectors in the field of gene therapy. However, the industrial production of AAV is facing key bottlenecks such as low yield and high-cost. The aim of this study was to establish a technology system for production of AAV in the double virus infected insects by using multiple-gene deleted baculovirus. First, a multiple gene deleted baculovirus for AAV production was constructed, and the baculovirus titer and its effect on infected cells was examined. Subsequently, the insect cells were co-infected with the double baculovirus and the infection conditions were optimized. At the final stage, we performed AAV production based on optimized conditions, and evaluated relevant parameters including production titer and quality. The results showed that the titer of AAV produced in the multiple gene deleted baculovirus was not different from that of the wild type, but the rate of cell death was significantly slower upon infection. Using the double virus route for optimized production of AAV, the genome titers were 1.63×1011 VG/mL for Bac4.0-1 and 1.02×1011 VG/mL for Bac5.0-2, which were elevated 240% and 110%, respectively, compared with that of the wild-type. Electron microscopy observations revealed that all three groups exhibited normal AAV viral morphology and they showed similar transduction activity. Taken together, we developed an AAV production system based on the infection of insect cells using multiple-gene deleted baculovirus, which significantly improved the virus yield and showed application potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Zhuohan Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Yifan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Qianru Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Chenjing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Yuanxing Zhang
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Maricultured Animal Vaccines, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Qin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Maricultured Animal Vaccines, Shanghai 200237, China
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14
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Shimoyama T, Oba M, Takemae H, Omatsu T, Tani H, Mizutani T. Potent immunogenicity and neutralization of recombinant adeno-associated virus expressing the glycoprotein of severe fever with thrombocytopenia virus. J Vet Med Sci 2024; 86:228-238. [PMID: 38143087 PMCID: PMC10898983 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.23-0375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an infectious disease caused by a tick-borne virus called severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV). In recent years, human infections through contact with ticks and through contact with the bodily fluids of infected dogs and cats have been reported; however, no vaccine is currently available. SFTSV has two glycoproteins (Gn and Gc) on its envelope, which are vaccine-target antigens involved in immunogenicity. In the present study, we constructed novel SFTS vaccine candidates using an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector to transport the SFTSV glycoprotein genome. AAV vectors are widely used in gene therapy and their safety has been confirmed in clinical trials. Recently, AAV vectors have been used to develop influenza and SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Two types of vaccines (AAV9-SFTSV Gn and AAV9-SFTSV Gc) carrying SFTSV Gn and Gc genes were produced. The expression of Gn and Gc proteins in HEK293T cells was confirmed by infection with vaccines. These vaccines were inoculated into mice, and the collected sera produced anti-SFTS antibodies. Furthermore, sera from AAV9-SFTSV Gn infected mice showed a potent neutralizing ability, similar to previously reported SFTS vaccine candidates that protected animals from SFTSV infection. These findings suggest that this vaccine is a promising candidate for a new SFTS vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiaki Shimoyama
- Center for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Prevention Research, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mami Oba
- Center for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Prevention Research, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Takemae
- Center for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Prevention Research, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Omatsu
- Center for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Prevention Research, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideki Tani
- Department of Virology, Toyama Institute of Health, Toyama, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Mizutani
- Center for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Prevention Research, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
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15
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Keller WR, Picciano A, Wilson K, Xu J, Khasa H, Wendeler M. Rational downstream development for adeno-associated virus full/empty capsid separation - A streamlined methodology based on high-throughput screening and mechanistic modeling. J Chromatogr A 2024; 1716:464632. [PMID: 38219623 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2024.464632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) has emerged as one of the most promising systems for therapeutic gene delivery and has demonstrated clinical success in a wide range of genetic disorders. However, manufacturing of high-quality AAV in large amounts still remains a challenge. A significant difficulty for downstream processing is the need to remove empty capsids that are generated in all currently utilized expression systems and that represent product-related impurities that adversely affect safety and efficacy of AAV vectors. Empty and full capsids exhibit only subtle differences in surface charge and size, making chromatography-based separations highly challenging. Here, we present a rapid methodology for the systematic process development of the crucial AAV full/empty capsid separation on ion-exchange media based on high-throughput screening and mechanistic modeling. Two of the most commonly employed serotypes, AAV8 and AAV9, are used as case studies. First, high-throughput studies in filter-plate format are performed that allow the rapid and comprehensive study of binding and elution behavior of AAV on different resins, using different buffer systems, pH, salt conditions, and solution additives. Small amounts of separated empty and full AAV capsids are generated by iodixanol gradient centrifugation that allow studying the binding and elution behavior of the two vector species separately in miniaturized format. Process conditions that result in maximum differences in elution behavior between empty and full capsids are then transferred to benchtop chromatography systems that are used to generate calibration data for the estimation of steric mass-action isotherm and mass transport parameters for process simulation. The resulting column models are employed for in-silico process development that serves to enhance understanding of separation constraints and to identify optimized conditions for the removal of empty particles. Finally, optimized separation conditions are verified experimentally. The methodology presented in this work provides a systematic framework that affords mechanistic understanding of the crucial empty/full capsid separation and accelerates the development of a scalable AAV downstream process.
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Affiliation(s)
- William R Keller
- Purification Process Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, United States
| | - Angela Picciano
- Purification Process Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, United States
| | - Kelly Wilson
- Purification Process Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, United States
| | - Jin Xu
- Cell Culture and Fermentation Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, United States
| | - Harshit Khasa
- Analytical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, United States
| | - Michaela Wendeler
- Purification Process Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, United States.
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16
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Schieferecke AJ, Lee H, Chen A, Kilaru V, Krish Williams J, Schaffer DV. Evolving membrane-associated accessory protein variants for improved adeno-associated virus production. Mol Ther 2024; 32:340-351. [PMID: 38115579 PMCID: PMC10861973 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Manufacturing sufficient adeno-associated virus (AAV) to meet current and projected clinical needs is a significant hurdle to the growing gene therapy industry. The recently discovered membrane-associated accessory protein (MAAP) is encoded by an alternative open reading frame in the AAV cap gene that is found in all presently reported natural serotypes. Recent evidence has emerged supporting a functional role of MAAP in AAV egress, although the underlying mechanisms of MAAP function remain unknown. Here, we show that inactivation of MAAP from AAV2 by a single point mutation that is silent in the VP1 open reading frame (ORF) (AAV2-ΔMAAP) decreased exosome-associated and secreted vector genome production. We hypothesized that novel MAAP variants could be evolved to increase AAV production and thus subjected a library encoding over 1 × 106 MAAP protein variants to five rounds of packaging selection into the AAV2-ΔMAAP capsid. Between each successive packaging round, we observed a progressive increase in both overall titer and ratio of secreted vector genomes conferred by the bulk-selected MAAP library population. Next-generation sequencing uncovered enriched mutational features, and a resulting selected MAAP variant containing missense mutations and a frameshifted C-terminal domain increased overall GFP transgene packaging in AAV2, AAV6, and AAV9 capsids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J Schieferecke
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Hyuncheol Lee
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Aleysha Chen
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Vindhya Kilaru
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Justin Krish Williams
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - David V Schaffer
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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17
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Zhang S, Xiao H, Li N. Analysis of Host Cell Proteins in AAV Products with ProteoMiner Protein Enrichment Technology. Anal Chem 2024; 96:1890-1897. [PMID: 38262068 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c03884] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Despite substantial efforts to detect host cell proteins (HCPs) in antibody drugs, information regarding HCPs in gene therapy products remains limited and has not been widely integrated into the host cell engineering or purification processes. Most methods that have successfully detected HCPs in antibody drugs are not applicable to gene therapy products, except for the ProteoMiner enrichment method. Here, we demonstrate that ProteoMiner beads effectively enrich HCPs in adeno-associated virus (AAV) products and simultaneously remove the detergent Pluronic F-68 without a loss of low-abundance HCPs. Following optimization of this technique, there was up to a 34-fold increase in the enrichment of HCPs compared to direct digestion. Moreover, the detection limit was significantly lowered with the ability to detect HCPs at levels as low as 0.1 ng/mL after ProteoMiner treatment. This approach holds promise in AAV HCP analysis and may be adaptable to other gene therapy products. The findings from this study provide valuable insights into HCPs in AAV products and may facilitate process development and host cell line optimization. The high sensitivity of this approach also facilitates detection of critical low-abundance HCPs, thereby contributing to risk assessment of their impact on the safety and quality of the AAV-based gene therapy products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sisi Zhang
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6706, United States
| | - Hui Xiao
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6706, United States
| | - Ning Li
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6706, United States
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18
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Sladen PE, Naeem A, Adefila-Ideozu T, Vermeule T, Busson SL, Michaelides M, Naylor S, Forbes A, Lane A, Georgiadis A. AAV-RPGR Gene Therapy Rescues Opsin Mislocalisation in a Human Retinal Organoid Model of RPGR-Associated X-Linked Retinitis Pigmentosa. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1839. [PMID: 38339118 PMCID: PMC10855600 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Variants within the Retinitis Pigmentosa GTPase regulator (RPGR) gene are the predominant cause of X-Linked Retinitis Pigmentosa (XLRP), a common and severe form of inherited retinal disease. XLRP is characterised by the progressive degeneration and loss of photoreceptors, leading to visual loss and, ultimately, bilateral blindness. Unfortunately, there are no effective approved treatments for RPGR-associated XLRP. We sought to investigate the efficacy of RPGRORF15 gene supplementation using a clinically relevant construct in human RPGR-deficient retinal organoids (ROs). Isogenic RPGR knockout (KO)-induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSCs) were generated using established CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing methods targeting RPGR. RPGR-KO and isogenic wild-type IPSCs were differentiated into ROs and utilised to test the adeno associated virus (AAV) RPGR (AAV-RPGR) clinical vector construct. The transduction of RPGR-KO ROs using AAV-RPGR successfully restored RPGR mRNA and protein expression and localisation to the photoreceptor connecting cilium in rod and cone photoreceptors. Vector-derived RPGR demonstrated equivalent levels of glutamylation to WT ROs. In addition, treatment with AAV-RPGR restored rhodopsin localisation within RPGR-KO ROs, reducing mislocalisation to the photoreceptor outer nuclear layer. These data provide mechanistic insights into RPGRORF15 gene supplementation functional potency in human photoreceptor cells and support the previously reported Phase I/II trial positive results using this vector construct in patients with RPGR-associated XLRP, which is currently being tested in a Phase III clinical trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul E. Sladen
- MeiraGTx UK II, 34-38 Provost Street, London N1 7NG, UK (A.L.)
| | - Arifa Naeem
- MeiraGTx UK II, 34-38 Provost Street, London N1 7NG, UK (A.L.)
| | | | - Tijmen Vermeule
- MeiraGTx UK II, 34-38 Provost Street, London N1 7NG, UK (A.L.)
| | | | - Michel Michaelides
- MeiraGTx UK II, 34-38 Provost Street, London N1 7NG, UK (A.L.)
- Moorfields Eye Hospital, 162 City Road, London EC1V 2PD, UK
- University College London Institute of Ophthalmology, London EC1V 9LF, UK
| | - Stuart Naylor
- MeiraGTx UK II, 34-38 Provost Street, London N1 7NG, UK (A.L.)
| | | | - Amelia Lane
- MeiraGTx UK II, 34-38 Provost Street, London N1 7NG, UK (A.L.)
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Lin CV, Thomas CAD, Huynh TL, Wei DT, Young JN, Aivazian AS, McInnes A, Xu J, Cook SE, Vazquez J, Maselli RA. Adeno-Associated Virus Type 9-Mediated Gene Therapy of Choline Acetyltransferase-Deficient Mice. Hum Gene Ther 2024; 35:123-131. [PMID: 38299967 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2023.173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The enzyme choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) synthesizes acetylcholine from acetyl-CoA and choline at the neuromuscular junction and at the nerve terminals of cholinergic neurons. Mutations in the ChAT gene (CHAT) result in a presynaptic congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS) that often associates with life-threatening episodes of apnea. Knockout mice for Chat (Chat-/-) die at birth. To circumvent the lethality of this model, we crossed mutant mice possessing loxP sites flanking Chat exons 4 and 5 with mice that expressed Cre-ERT2. Injection of tamoxifen (Tx) at postnatal (P) day 11 in these mice induced downregulation of Chat, autonomic failure, weakness, and death. However, a proportion of Chatflox/flox-Cre-ERT2 mice receiving at birth an intracerebroventricular injection of 2 × 1013 vg/kg adeno-associated virus type 9 (AAV9) carrying human CHAT (AAV9-CHAT) survived a subsequent Tx injection and lived to adulthood without showing signs of weakness. Likewise, injection of AA9-CHAT by intracisternal injection at P28 after the onset of weakness also resulted in survival to adulthood. The expression of Chat in spinal motor neurons of Chatflox/flox-Cre-ERT2 mice injected with Tx was markedly reduced, but AAV-injected mice showed a robust recovery of ChAT expression, which was mainly translated by the human CHAT RNA. The biodistribution of the viral genome was widespread but maximal in the spinal cord and brain of AAV-injected mice. No significant histopathological changes were observed in the brain, liver, and heart of AAV-injected mice after 1 year follow-up. Thus, AAV9-mediated gene therapy may provide an effective and safe treatment for patients severely affected with CHAT-CMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron V Lin
- Department of Neurology, University of California Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Clementine A D Thomas
- Department of Neurology, University of California Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Thanh L Huynh
- Department of Neurology, University of California Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - David T Wei
- Department of Neurology, University of California Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Jaime N Young
- Department of Neurology, University of California Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Anahid S Aivazian
- Department of Neurology, University of California Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Abigail McInnes
- Department of Neurology, University of California Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Jixiang Xu
- Department of Neurology, University of California Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Sarah E Cook
- Anatomic Pathology, University of California Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, California, USA
| | - Jessica Vazquez
- Department of Neurology, University of California Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Ricardo A Maselli
- Department of Neurology, University of California Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
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20
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Smith J, Carillo S, Kulkarni A, Redman E, Yu K, Bones J. Rapid characterization of adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsid proteins using microchip ZipChip CE-MS. Anal Bioanal Chem 2024; 416:1069-1084. [PMID: 38102410 PMCID: PMC10800304 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-023-05097-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) are viral vectors used as delivery systems for gene therapies. Intact protein characterization of AAV viral capsid proteins (VPs) and their post-translational modifications is critical to ensuring product quality. In this study, microchip-based ZipChip capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (CE-MS) was applied for the rapid characterization of AAV intact VPs, specifically full and empty viral capsids of serotypes AAV6, AAV8 and AAV9, which was accomplished using 5 min of analysis time. Low levels of dimethyl sulfoxide (4%) in the background electrolyte (BGE) improved MS signal quality and component detection. A sensitivity evaluation revealed consistent detection of VP proteoforms when as little as 2.64 × 106 viral particles (≈26.4 picograms) were injected. Besides the traditional VP proteoforms used for serotype identification, multiple VP3 variants were detected, including truncated VP3 variants most likely generated by leaky scanning as well as unacetylated and un-cleaved VP3 proteoforms. Phosphorylation, known to impact AAV transduction efficiency, was also seen in all serotypes analysed. Additionally, low abundant fragments originating from either N- or C-terminus truncation were detected. As the aforementioned VP components can impact product quality and efficacy, the ZipChip's ability to rapidly characterize them illustrates its strength in monitoring product quality during AAV production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josh Smith
- Characterisation and Comparability Laboratory, The National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Foster Avenue, Mount Merrion, A94 X099, Co. Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sara Carillo
- Characterisation and Comparability Laboratory, The National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Foster Avenue, Mount Merrion, A94 X099, Co. Dublin, Ireland
| | - Aditya Kulkarni
- 908 Devices Inc., 645 Summer Street #201, Boston, MA, 02210, USA
| | - Erin Redman
- 908 Devices Inc., 511 Davis Dr Suite 450, Morrisville, NC, 27560, USA
| | - Kate Yu
- 908 Devices Inc., 645 Summer Street #201, Boston, MA, 02210, USA
| | - Jonathan Bones
- Characterisation and Comparability Laboratory, The National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Foster Avenue, Mount Merrion, A94 X099, Co. Dublin, Ireland.
- School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, D04 V1W8, Ireland.
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21
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Erickson SB, Pham Q, Cao X, Glicksman J, Kelemen RE, Shahraeini SS, Bodkin S, Kiyam Z, Chatterjee A. Precise Manipulation of the Site and Stoichiometry of Capsid Modification Enables Optimization of Functional Adeno-Associated Virus Conjugates. Bioconjug Chem 2024; 35:64-71. [PMID: 38103182 PMCID: PMC10924286 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.3c00411] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
The ability to engineer adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors for targeted transduction of specific cell types is critically important to fully harness their potential for human gene therapy. A promising approach to achieve this objective involves chemically attaching retargeting ligands onto the virus capsid. Site-specific incorporation of a bioorthogonal noncanonical amino acid (ncAA) into the AAV capsid proteins provides a particularly attractive strategy to introduce such modifications with exquisite precision. In this study, we show that using ncAA mutagenesis, it is possible to systematically alter the attachment site of a retargeting ligand (cyclic-RGD) on the AAV capsid to create diverse conjugate architectures and that the site of attachment heavily impacts the retargeting efficiency. We further demonstrate that the performance of these AAV conjugates is highly sensitive to the stoichiometry of capsid labeling (labels per capsid), with an intermediate labeling density providing optimal activity for cRGD-mediated retargeting. Finally, we developed a technology to more precisely control the number of attachment sites per AAV capsid by selectively incorporating an ncAA into the minor capsid proteins with high fidelity and efficiency, such that AAV conjugates with varying stoichiometry can be synthesized. Together, this platform provides unparalleled control over the site and stoichiometry of capsid modification, which will enable the development of next-generation AAV vectors tailored with desirable attributes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Xiaofu Cao
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, 2609 Beacon Street, 201 Merkert Chemistry Center, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Jake Glicksman
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, 2609 Beacon Street, 201 Merkert Chemistry Center, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Rachel E. Kelemen
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, 2609 Beacon Street, 201 Merkert Chemistry Center, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Seyed S. Shahraeini
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, 2609 Beacon Street, 201 Merkert Chemistry Center, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Sebastian Bodkin
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, 2609 Beacon Street, 201 Merkert Chemistry Center, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Zainab Kiyam
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, 2609 Beacon Street, 201 Merkert Chemistry Center, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
| | - Abhishek Chatterjee
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, 2609 Beacon Street, 201 Merkert Chemistry Center, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, United States
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22
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Kraszewska I, Sarad K, Andrysiak K, Kopacz A, Schmidt L, Krüger M, Dulak J, Jaźwa-Kusior A. Casein kinase 2 activity is a host restriction factor for AAV transduction. Mol Ther 2024; 32:84-102. [PMID: 37952087 PMCID: PMC10787142 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
So far, the mechanisms that impede AAV transduction, especially in the human heart, are poorly understood, hampering the introduction of new, effective gene therapy strategies. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify and overcome the main cellular barriers to successful transduction in the heart, using induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs), iPSC-derived cardiac fibroblasts (iPSC-CFs), and primary endothelial cells to model vector-host interactions. Through phosphoproteome analysis we established that casein kinase 2 (CK2) signaling is one of the most significantly affected pathways upon AAV exposure. Transient inhibition of CK2 activity substantially enhanced the transduction rate of AAV2, AAV6, and AAV9 in all tested cell types. In particular, CK2 inhibition improved the trafficking of AAVs through the cytoplasm, impaired DNA damage response through destabilization of MRE11, and altered the RNA processing pathways, which were also highly responsive to AAV transduction. Also, it augmented transgene expression in already transduced iPSC-CFs, which retain AAV genomes in a functional, but probably silent form. In summary, the present study provides new insights into the current understanding of the host-AAV vector interaction, identifying CK2 activity as a key barrier to efficient transduction and transgene expression, which may translate to improving the outcome of AAV-based therapies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izabela Kraszewska
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.
| | - Katarzyna Sarad
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland; Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Kalina Andrysiak
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Kopacz
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Luisa Schmidt
- CECAD Research Center, Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Marcus Krüger
- CECAD Research Center, Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Józef Dulak
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Jaźwa-Kusior
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.
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23
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Yuan C, Xu Y, Lu G, Hu Y, Mao W, Ke L, Tong Z, Xia Y, Ma S, Dong X, Xian X, Wu X, Liu G, Li B, Li W. AAV-mediated hepatic LPL expression ameliorates severe hypertriglyceridemia and acute pancreatitis in Gpihbp1 deficient mice and rats. Mol Ther 2024; 32:59-73. [PMID: 37974401 PMCID: PMC10787151 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
GPIHBP1 plays an important role in the hydrolysis of triglyceride (TG) lipoproteins by lipoprotein lipases (LPLs). However, Gpihbp1 knockout mice did not develop hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) during the suckling period but developed severe HTG after weaning on a chow diet. It has been postulated that LPL expression in the liver of suckling mice may be involved. To determine whether hepatic LPL expression could correct severe HTG in Gpihbp1 deficiency, liver-targeted LPL expression was achieved via intravenous administration of the adeno-associated virus (AAV)-human LPL gene, and the effects of AAV-LPL on HTG and HTG-related acute pancreatitis (HTG-AP) were observed. Suckling Gpihbp1-/- mice with high hepatic LPL expression did not develop HTG, whereas Gpihbp1-/- rat pups without hepatic LPL expression developed severe HTG. AAV-mediated liver-targeted LPL expression dose-dependently decreased plasma TG levels in Gpihbp1-/- mice and rats, increased post-heparin plasma LPL mass and activity, decreased mortality in Gpihbp1-/- rat pups, and reduced the susceptibility and severity of both Gpihbp1-/- animals to HTG-AP. However, the muscle expression of AAV-LPL had no significant effect on HTG. Targeted expression of LPL in the liver showed no obvious adverse reactions. Thus, liver-targeted LPL expression may be a new therapeutic approach for HTG-AP caused by GPIHBP1 deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenchen Yuan
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Yao Xu
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Guotao Lu
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Yuepeng Hu
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Wenjian Mao
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Lu Ke
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Zhihui Tong
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Yan Xia
- GeneCradle Therapeutics Inc, Beijing 100176, China
| | - Sisi Ma
- GeneCradle Therapeutics Inc, Beijing 100176, China
| | - Xiaoyan Dong
- GeneCradle Therapeutics Inc, Beijing 100176, China
| | - Xunde Xian
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Vascular Homeostasis and Remodeling, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Xiaobing Wu
- GeneCradle Therapeutics Inc, Beijing 100176, China
| | - George Liu
- GeneCradle Therapeutics Inc, Beijing 100176, China.
| | - Baiqiang Li
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China.
| | - Weiqin Li
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China.
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24
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Adsero A, Chestnut B, Shahnejat-Bushehri S, Sasnoor L, McMurphy T, Swenor M, Pasquino R, Pradhan A, Hernandez V, Padegimas L, Dismuke D. A Novel Role for the Adenovirus L4 Region 22K and 33K Proteins in Adeno-Associated Virus Production. Hum Gene Ther 2024; 35:59-69. [PMID: 38062776 PMCID: PMC10818037 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2023.146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite decades of research in adeno-associated virus (AAV) and the role of adenovirus in production, the interplay of AAV and adenovirus is not fully understood. Specific regions of the adenoviral genome containing E1, E2a, E4 open reading frame (ORF), and VA RNA have been demonstrated as necessary for AAV production; however, incorporating these regions into either a producer cell line or subcloning into an Ad helper plasmid may lead to inclusion of neighboring adenoviral sequence or ORFs with unknown function. Because AAV is frequently used in gene therapies, removing excessive adenovirus sequences improves the Ad helper plasmid size and manufacturability, and may lead to safer vectors for patients. Furthermore, deepening our understanding of the helper virus genes required for recombinant AAV (rAAV) production has the potential to increase yields and manufacturability of rAAV for clinical and commercial applications. One region continuously included in various Ad helper plasmid iterations is the adenoviral E2a promoter region that appears to be necessary for E2a expression. Due to the compact nature of viral genomes, the E2a promoter region overlaps with the Hexon Assembly/100K protein and the L4 region. The L4 region, which contains the coding sequences for 22K and 33K proteins, had not been thought to be necessary for AAV production. Through molecular techniques, this study demonstrates that the adenoviral 22K protein is essential for rAAV production in HEK293 cells by triple transfection and that the 33K protein synergistically increases rAAV yield.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Adsero
- Molecular Development, Forge Biologics, Grove City, Ohio, USA
| | | | | | - Lalita Sasnoor
- Molecular Development, Forge Biologics, Grove City, Ohio, USA
| | - Travis McMurphy
- Molecular Development, Forge Biologics, Grove City, Ohio, USA
| | - Mike Swenor
- Molecular Development, Forge Biologics, Grove City, Ohio, USA
- Process Development, Forge Biologics, Grove City, Ohio, USA
| | - Ryan Pasquino
- Molecular Development, Forge Biologics, Grove City, Ohio, USA
| | - Arun Pradhan
- Molecular Development, Forge Biologics, Grove City, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Linas Padegimas
- Molecular Development, Forge Biologics, Grove City, Ohio, USA
| | - David Dismuke
- Chief Technical Officer, Forge Biologics, Grove City, Ohio, USA
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25
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Słyk Ż, Wrzesień R, Barszcz S, Gawrychowski K, Małecki M. Adeno-associated virus vector hydrogel formulations for brain cancer gene therapy applications. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 170:116061. [PMID: 38154269 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.116061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Gelatin-based formulations are utilized in neurosurgical procedures, with Medisponge® serving as an illustration of a secure and biocompatible hemostatic formulation. Noteworthy are combined hemostatic products that integrate pharmacological agents with gelatin. Gelatin matrices, which host biologically active substances, provide a platform for a variety of molecules. Biopolymers function as carriers for chemicals and genes, a facet particularly pertinent in brain cancer therapy, as gene therapy complement conventional approaches. The registration of Zolgensma underscores the efficacy of rAAV vectors in therapeutic gene delivery to the CNS. rAAVs, renowned for their safety, stability, and neuron-targeting capabilities, predominate in CNS gene therapy studies. The effectiveness of rAAV vector therapy varies based on the serotype and administration route. Local gene therapy employing hydrogel (e.g., post-tumor resection) enables the circumvention of the blood-brain barrier and restricts formulation diffusion. This study formulates gelatin rAAV gene formulations and evaluates vector transduction potential. Transduction efficiency was assessed using ex vivo mouse brains and in vitro cancer cell lines. In vitro, the transduction of rAAV vectors in gelatin matrices was quantified through qPCR, measuring the itr and Gfp expression. rAAVDJ and rAAV2 demonstrated superior transduction in ex vivo and in vitro models. Among the cell lines tested (Hs683, B16-F10, NIH:OVCAR-3), gelatin matrix F1 exhibited selective transduction, particularly with Hs683 human glioma cells, surpassing the performance Medisponge®. This research highlights the exploration of local brain cancer therapy, emphasizing the potential of gelatin as an rAAV vector carrier for gene therapy. The functional transduction activity of gelatin rAAV formulations is demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Żaneta Słyk
- Department of Applied Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; Laboratory of Gene Therapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Robert Wrzesień
- Central Laboratory of Experimental Animals, Center for Preclinical Research and Technology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Sławomir Barszcz
- Department of Neurosurgery, Children's Clinical Hospital, University Clinical Centre of the Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Gawrychowski
- Department of Applied Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maciej Małecki
- Department of Applied Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; Laboratory of Gene Therapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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26
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Zhou K, Yuan M, Sun J, Zhang F, Zong X, Li Z, Tang D, Zhou L, Zheng J, Xiao X, Wu X. Sildenafil increases AAV9 transduction after a systemic administration and enhances AAV9-dystrophin therapeutic effect in mdx mice. Gene Ther 2024; 31:19-30. [PMID: 37500816 DOI: 10.1038/s41434-023-00411-3] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors have been successfully used to deliver genes for treating rare diseases. However, the systemic administration of high AAV vector doses triggers several adverse effects, including immune response, the asymptomatic elevation of liver transaminase levels, and complement activation. Thus, improving AAV transduction and reducing AAV dosage for treatment is necessary. Recently, we found that a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor significantly promoted AAV9 transduction in vitro by regulating the caveolae and macropinocytosis pathways. When AAV9-Gaussian luciferase (AAV9-Gluc) and AAV9-green fluorescent protein (AAV9-GFP) were injected intravenously into mice pre-treated with sildenafil, the expressions of Gluc in the plasma and GFP in muscle tissues significantly increased (P < 0.05). Sildenafil also improved Evans blue permeation in tissues. Additionally, we found that sildenafil promoted Treg proliferation, inhibited B-cell activation, and decreased anti-AAV9 IgG levels (P < 0.05). Furthermore, sildenafil significantly promoted Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy efficacy using AAV9 in mdx mice; it increased micro-dystrophin gene expression, forelimb grip strength, and time spent on the rotarod test, decreased serum creatine kinase levels, and ameliorated histopathology by improving muscle cell morphology and reducing fibrosis (P < 0.05). These results show that sildenafil significantly improved AAV transduction, suppressed the levels of anti-AAV9 IgG, and enhanced the efficacy of gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiyi Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Meng Yuan
- School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiabao Sun
- School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Feixu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoying Zong
- School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhanao Li
- School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Dingyue Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Lichen Zhou
- The General Hospital of Western Theater Command PLA, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Jing Zheng
- Belief BioMed, Xuhui District, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao Xiao
- School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27517, USA.
| | - Xia Wu
- School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.
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27
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Sellier P, Vidal P, Bertin B, Gicquel E, Bertil-Froidevaux E, Georger C, van Wittenberghe L, Miranda A, Daniele N, Richard I, Gross DA, Mingozzi F, Collaud F, Ronzitti G. Muscle-specific, liver-detargeted adeno-associated virus gene therapy rescues Pompe phenotype in adult and neonate Gaa -/- mice. J Inherit Metab Dis 2024; 47:119-134. [PMID: 37204237 DOI: 10.1002/jimd.12625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Pompe disease (PD) is a neuromuscular disorder caused by acid α-glucosidase (GAA) deficiency. Reduced GAA activity leads to pathological glycogen accumulation in cardiac and skeletal muscles responsible for severe heart impairment, respiratory defects, and muscle weakness. Enzyme replacement therapy with recombinant human GAA (rhGAA) is the standard-of-care treatment for PD, however, its efficacy is limited due to poor uptake in muscle and the development of an immune response. Multiple clinical trials are ongoing in PD with adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors based on liver- and muscle-targeting. Current gene therapy approaches are limited by liver proliferation, poor muscle targeting, and the potential immune response to the hGAA transgene. To generate a treatment tailored to infantile-onset PD, we took advantage of a novel AAV capsid able to increase skeletal muscle targeting compared to AAV9 while reducing liver overload. When combined with a liver-muscle tandem promoter (LiMP), and despite the extensive liver-detargeting, this vector had a limited immune response to the hGAA transgene. This combination of capsid and promoter with improved muscle expression and specificity allowed for glycogen clearance in cardiac and skeletal muscles of Gaa-/- adult mice. In neonate Gaa-/- , complete rescue of glycogen content and muscle strength was observed 6 months after AAV vector injection. Our work highlights the importance of residual liver expression to control the immune response toward a potentially immunogenic transgene expressed in muscle. In conclusion, the demonstration of the efficacy of a muscle-specific AAV capsid-promoter combination for the full rescue of PD manifestation in both neonate and adult Gaa-/- provides a potential therapeutic avenue for the infantile-onset form of this devastating disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Sellier
- Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, Inserm, Genethon, Integrare Research Unit UMR_S951, Evry, France
- Genethon, Evry, France
| | - P Vidal
- Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, Inserm, Genethon, Integrare Research Unit UMR_S951, Evry, France
- Genethon, Evry, France
| | - B Bertin
- Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, Inserm, Genethon, Integrare Research Unit UMR_S951, Evry, France
- Genethon, Evry, France
| | - E Gicquel
- Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, Inserm, Genethon, Integrare Research Unit UMR_S951, Evry, France
- Genethon, Evry, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | - I Richard
- Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, Inserm, Genethon, Integrare Research Unit UMR_S951, Evry, France
- Genethon, Evry, France
| | - D A Gross
- Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, Inserm, Genethon, Integrare Research Unit UMR_S951, Evry, France
- Genethon, Evry, France
| | - F Mingozzi
- Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, Inserm, Genethon, Integrare Research Unit UMR_S951, Evry, France
- Genethon, Evry, France
| | - F Collaud
- Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, Inserm, Genethon, Integrare Research Unit UMR_S951, Evry, France
- Genethon, Evry, France
| | - G Ronzitti
- Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, Inserm, Genethon, Integrare Research Unit UMR_S951, Evry, France
- Genethon, Evry, France
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28
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Hao S, Zhang X, Ning K, Feng Z, Park SY, Aksu Kuz C, McFarlin S, Richart D, Cheng F, Zhang EY, Zhang-Chen A, Yan Z, Qiu J. Identification of host essential factors for recombinant AAV transduction of the polarized human airway epithelium. J Virol 2023; 97:e0133023. [PMID: 37966249 PMCID: PMC10734497 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01330-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE The essential steps of successful gene delivery by recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs) include vector internalization, intracellular trafficking, nuclear import, uncoating, double-stranded (ds)DNA conversion, and transgene expression. rAAV2.5T has a chimeric capsid of AAV2 VP1u and AAV5 VP2 and VP3 with the mutation A581T. Our investigation revealed that KIAA0319L, the multiple AAV serotype receptor, is not essential for vector internalization but remains critical for efficient vector transduction to human airway epithelia. Additionally, we identified that a novel gene WDR63, whose cellular function is not well understood, plays an important role in vector transduction of human airway epithelia but not vector internalization and nuclear entry. Our study also discovered the substantial transduction potential of rAAV2.5T in basal stem cells of human airway epithelia, underscoring its utility in gene editing of human airways. Thus, the knowledge derived from this study holds promise for the advancement of gene therapy in the treatment of pulmonary genetic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyuan Hao
- Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Immunology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Xiujuan Zhang
- Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Immunology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Kang Ning
- Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Immunology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Zehua Feng
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Soo Yeun Park
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Cagla Aksu Kuz
- Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Immunology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Shane McFarlin
- Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Immunology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Donovan Richart
- Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Immunology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Fang Cheng
- Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Immunology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | | | | | - Ziying Yan
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Jianming Qiu
- Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Immunology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
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29
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Ohba K, Mizukami H. Protocol for producing an adeno-associated virus vector by controlling capsid expression timing. STAR Protoc 2023; 4:102542. [PMID: 38103199 PMCID: PMC10751547 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Conventional adeno-associated virus (AAV) production systems generate vast numbers of empty capsids, which should be eliminated before clinical use. Here, we present a protocol for efficient AAV vector production. We describe steps for separating replicase and capsid genes from the plasmid and controlling capsid expression until sufficient AAV vector genome replication is achieved. This protocol can produce AAV vectors in various serotypes. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Ohba et al.1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Ohba
- Division of Genetic Therapeutics, Center for Molecular Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Tochigi 329-0498, Japan.
| | - Hiroaki Mizukami
- Division of Genetic Therapeutics, Center for Molecular Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Tochigi 329-0498, Japan
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30
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Lv YF, Zhang H, Cui Z, Ma CJ, Li YL, Lu H, Wu HY, Yang JL, Cao CY, Sun WZ, Huang XF. Gene delivery to breast cancer by incorporated EpCAM targeted DARPins into AAV2. BMC Cancer 2023; 23:1220. [PMID: 38082377 PMCID: PMC10712102 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-11705-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to evaluate an AAV vector that can selectively target breast cancer cells and to investigate its specificity and anti-tumor effects on breast cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo, offering a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of EpCAM-positive breast cancer. METHODS In this study, a modified AAV2 viral vector was used, in which EpCAM-specific DARPin EC1 was fused to the VP2 protein of AAV2, creating a viral vector that can target breast cancer cells. The targeting ability and anti-tumor effects of this viral vector were evaluated through in vitro and in vivo experiments. RESULTS The experimental results showed that the AAV2MEC1 virus could specifically infect EpCAM-positive breast cancer cells and accurately deliver the suicide gene HSV-TK to tumor tissue in mice, significantly inhibiting tumor growth. Compared to the traditional AAV2 viral vector, the AAV2MEC1 virus exhibited reduced accumulation in liver tissue and had no impact on tumor growth. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that AAV2MEC1 is a gene delivery vector capable of targeting breast cancer cells and achieving selective targeting in mice. The findings offer a potential gene delivery system and strategies for gene therapy targeting EpCAM-positive breast cancer and other tumor types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Feng Lv
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Three Gorges University, No. 8 Da Xue Road, Yichang City, Hubei Province, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Three Gorges University, No. 8 Da Xue Road, Yichang City, Hubei Province, China
| | - Zhi Cui
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Three Gorges University, No. 8 Da Xue Road, Yichang City, Hubei Province, China
| | - Cui-Jiao Ma
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Three Gorges University, No. 8 Da Xue Road, Yichang City, Hubei Province, China
| | - Yu-Ling Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Three Gorges University, No. 8 Da Xue Road, Yichang City, Hubei Province, China
| | - Hua Lu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Three Gorges University, No. 8 Da Xue Road, Yichang City, Hubei Province, China
| | - Hong-Yan Wu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Three Gorges University, No. 8 Da Xue Road, Yichang City, Hubei Province, China
| | - Jian-Lin Yang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Three Gorges University, No. 8 Da Xue Road, Yichang City, Hubei Province, China
| | - Chun-Yu Cao
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Three Gorges University, No. 8 Da Xue Road, Yichang City, Hubei Province, China.
| | - Wen-Zheng Sun
- Department of Pathology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Shandong, China.
| | - Xiao-Fei Huang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Three Gorges University, No. 8 Da Xue Road, Yichang City, Hubei Province, China.
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Westhaus A, Eamegdool SS, Fernando M, Fuller-Carter P, Brunet AA, Miller AL, Rashwan R, Knight M, Daniszewski M, Lidgerwood GE, Pébay A, Hewitt A, Santilli G, Thrasher AJ, Carvalho LS, Gonzalez-Cordero A, Jamieson RV, Lisowski L. AAV capsid bioengineering in primary human retina models. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21946. [PMID: 38081924 PMCID: PMC10713676 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49112-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector-mediated retinal gene therapy is an active field of both pre-clinical as well as clinical research. As with other gene therapy clinical targets, novel bioengineered AAV variants developed by directed evolution or rational design to possess unique desirable properties, are entering retinal gene therapy translational programs. However, it is becoming increasingly evident that predictive preclinical models are required to develop and functionally validate these novel AAVs prior to clinical studies. To investigate if, and to what extent, primary retinal explant culture could be used for AAV capsid development, this study performed a large high-throughput screen of 51 existing AAV capsids in primary human retina explants and other models of the human retina. Furthermore, we applied transgene expression-based directed evolution to develop novel capsids for more efficient transduction of primary human retina cells and compared the top variants to the strongest existing benchmarks identified in the screening described above. A direct side-by-side comparison of the newly developed capsids in four different in vitro and ex vivo model systems of the human retina allowed us to identify novel AAV variants capable of high transgene expression in primary human retina cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Westhaus
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Teaching and Research Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
- Genethon, Evry, France
| | - Steven S Eamegdool
- Eye Genetics Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | - Milan Fernando
- Stem Cell and Organoid Facility, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | | | - Alicia A Brunet
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia
| | - Annie L Miller
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia
| | | | - Maddison Knight
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | - Maciej Daniszewski
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Grace E Lidgerwood
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Alice Pébay
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Surgery, Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Alex Hewitt
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Giorgia Santilli
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Teaching and Research Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Adrian J Thrasher
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Teaching and Research Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Livia S Carvalho
- Lions Eye Institute, Nedlands, Australia
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia
| | - Anai Gonzalez-Cordero
- Stem Cell and Organoid Facility, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
- Stem Cell Medicine Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | - Robyn V Jamieson
- Eye Genetics Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | - Leszek Lisowski
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia.
- Australian Genome Therapeutics Centre, Children's Medical Research Institute and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia.
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Innovative Therapies, Military Institute of Medicine - National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland.
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32
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Su W, Seymour LW, Cawood R. AAV production in stable packaging cells requires expression of adenovirus 22/33K protein to allow episomal amplification of integrated rep/cap genes. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21670. [PMID: 38066084 PMCID: PMC10709602 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48901-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Efficient manufacture of recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors for gene therapy remains challenging. Packaging cell lines containing stable integration of the AAV rep/cap genes have been explored, however rAAV production needs to be induced using wild-type adenoviruses to promote episomal amplification of the integrated rep/cap genes by mobilizing a cis-acting replication element (CARE). The adenovirus proteins responsible are not fully defined, and using adenovirus during rAAV manufacture leads to contamination of the rAAV preparation. 'TESSA' is a helper adenovirus with a self-repressing Major Late Promoter (MLP). Its helper functions enable efficient rAAV manufacture when the rep and cap genes are provided in trans but is unable to support rAAV production from stable packaging cells. Using rAAV-packaging cell line HeLaRC32, we show that expression of the adenovirus L4 22/33K unit is essential for rep/cap amplification but the proteins are titrated away by binding to replicating adenovirus genomes. siRNA-knockdown of the adenovirus DNA polymerase or the use of a thermosensitive TESSA mutant decreased adenovirus genome replication whilst maintaining MLP repression, thereby recovering rep/cap amplification and efficient rAAV manufacture. Our findings have direct implications for engineering more efficient adenovirus helpers and superior rAAV packaging/producer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiheng Su
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK.
- OXGENE Ltd, Oxford Science Park, Oxford, OX4 4GA, UK.
| | - Leonard W Seymour
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Ryan Cawood
- OXGENE Ltd, Oxford Science Park, Oxford, OX4 4GA, UK
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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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Ryan JP, Kostelic MM, Hsieh CC, Powers J, Aspinwall C, Dodds JN, Schiel JE, Marty MT, Baker ES. Characterizing Adeno-Associated Virus Capsids with Both Denaturing and Intact Analysis Methods. J Am Soc Mass Spectrom 2023; 34:2811-2821. [PMID: 38010134 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.3c00321] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsids are among the leading gene delivery platforms used to treat a vast array of human diseases and conditions. AAVs exist in a variety of serotypes due to differences in viral protein (VP) sequences with distinct serotypes targeting specific cells and tissues. As the utility of AAVs in gene therapy increases, ensuring their specific composition is imperative for the correct targeting and gene delivery. From a quality control perspective, current analytical tools are limited in their selectivity for viral protein (VP) subunits due to their sequence similarities, instrumental difficulties in assessing the large molecular weights of intact capsids, and the uncertainty in distinguishing empty and filled capsids. To address these challenges, we combined two distinct analytical workflows that assess the intact capsids and VP subunits separately. First, a selective temporal overview of resonant ion (STORI)-based charge detection-mass spectrometry (CD-MS) was applied for characterization of the intact capsids. Liquid chromatography, ion mobility spectrometry, and mass spectrometry (LC-IMS-MS) separations were then used for the capsid denaturing measurements. This multimethod combination was applied to three AAV serotypes (AAV2, AAV6, and AAV8) to evaluate their intact empty and filled capsid ratios and then examine the distinct VP sequences and modifications present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack P Ryan
- University of North Carolina, Department of Chemistry, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Marius M Kostelic
- University of Arizona, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Chih-Chieh Hsieh
- University of Arizona, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Joshua Powers
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research (NIST), Gaithersburg Maryland 20899, United States
- North Carolina State University, Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC), Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Craig Aspinwall
- University of Arizona, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - James N Dodds
- University of North Carolina, Department of Chemistry, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - John E Schiel
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research (NIST), Gaithersburg Maryland 20899, United States
| | - Michael T Marty
- University of Arizona, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - Erin S Baker
- University of North Carolina, Department of Chemistry, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
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35
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Wang J, Lin J, Chen Y, Liu J, Zheng Q, Deng M, Wang R, Zhang Y, Feng S, Xu Z, Ye W, Hu Y, Duan J, Lin Y, Dai J, Chen Y, Li Y, Luo T, Chen Q, Lu Z. An ultra-compact promoter drives widespread neuronal expression in mouse and monkey brains. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113348. [PMID: 37910509 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Promoters are essential tools for basic and translational neuroscience research. An ideal promoter should possess the shortest possible DNA sequence with cell-type selectivity. However, whether ultra-compact promoters can offer neuron-specific expression is unclear. Here, we report the development of an extremely short promoter that enables selective gene expression in neurons, but not glial cells, in the brain. The promoter sequence originates from the human CALM1 gene and is only 120 bp in size. The CALM1 promoter (pCALM1) embedded in an adeno-associated virus (AAV) genome directed broad reporter expression in excitatory and inhibitory neurons in mouse and monkey brains. Moreover, pCALM1, when inserted into an all-in-one AAV vector expressing SpCas9 and sgRNA, drives constitutive and conditional in vivo gene editing in neurons and elicits functional alterations. These data demonstrate the ability of pCALM1 to conduct restricted neuronal gene expression, illustrating the feasibility of ultra-miniature promoters for targeting brain-cell subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyi Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518034, China; Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jianbang Lin
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yefei Chen
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Shenzhen Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen 518027, China
| | - Qiongping Zheng
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Mao Deng
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan 528400, China
| | - Ruiqi Wang
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yujing Zhang
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Shijing Feng
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Zhenyan Xu
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Weiyi Ye
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan 528400, China
| | - Yu Hu
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jiamei Duan
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan 528400, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Yunping Lin
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ji Dai
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yu Chen
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yuantao Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Shenzhen Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen 518027, China; Biomedical Research Institute, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan 442000, China
| | - Tao Luo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518034, China
| | - Qian Chen
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan 528400, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.
| | - Zhonghua Lu
- Shenzhen Technological Research Center for Primate Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Neural Development, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; Biomedical Imaging Science and System Key Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.
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Bagon BB, Lee J, Matienzo ME, Lim S, Park JI, Kang S, Kim K, Lee CM, Moon C, Kim DI, Park MJ. AAV-mediated skeletal muscle specific irisin expression does not contribute to weight loss in mice. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 682:111-117. [PMID: 37806248 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Obesity, a chronic disease, significantly increases the risk of various diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancers. Exercise is crucial for weight management not only through energy expenditure by muscle activity but also through stimulating the secretion of myokines, which affect various tissues. Irisin, derived from the proteolytic processing of fibronectin type III domain-containing protein 5 (Fndc5), is a well-studied myokine with beneficial effects on metabolism. This study explored the feasibility of adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated Fndc5 gene therapy to treat obesity in a mouse model using the AAV-DIO system to express Fndc5 specifically in skeletal muscle, and investigated its anti-obesity effect. Although Fndc5 was specifically expressed in the muscle, no significant impact on body weight under normal chow or high-fat diets was observed, and no change in thermogenic gene expression in inguinal white adipose tissue was detected. Notably, Fndc5 transduction did affect bone metabolism, consistent with previous reports. These findings suggest that AAV-mediated Fndc5 gene therapy may not be an efficient strategy for obesity, contrary to our expectations. Further research is needed to elucidate the complex mechanisms involved in irisin's role in obesity and related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernadette B Bagon
- Department of Veterinary Physiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea
| | - Junhyeong Lee
- Department of Veterinary Physiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea; College of Veterinary Medicine and BK21 FOUR Program, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea
| | - Merc Emil Matienzo
- Department of Veterinary Physiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea; College of Veterinary Medicine and BK21 FOUR Program, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea
| | - Sangyi Lim
- Department of Veterinary Physiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea; College of Veterinary Medicine and BK21 FOUR Program, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea
| | - Jae-Il Park
- Gwangju Center, Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI), Gwangju, 61751, South Korea
| | - Sohi Kang
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Animal Behavior, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea
| | - Keon Kim
- College of Veterinary Medicine and BK21 FOUR Program, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea; Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea
| | - Chang-Min Lee
- College of Veterinary Medicine and BK21 FOUR Program, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea; Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea
| | - Changjong Moon
- College of Veterinary Medicine and BK21 FOUR Program, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea; Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Animal Behavior, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea
| | - Dong-Il Kim
- Department of Veterinary Physiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea; College of Veterinary Medicine and BK21 FOUR Program, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea.
| | - Min-Jung Park
- Department of Veterinary Physiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea.
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37
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Gleichman AJ, Kawaguchi R, Sofroniew MV, Carmichael ST. A toolbox of astrocyte-specific, serotype-independent adeno-associated viral vectors using microRNA targeting sequences. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7426. [PMID: 37973910 PMCID: PMC10654773 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42746-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes, one of the most prevalent cell types in the central nervous system (CNS), are critically involved in neural function. Genetically manipulating astrocytes is an essential tool in understanding and affecting their roles. Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) enable rapid genetic manipulation; however, astrocyte specificity of AAVs can be limited, with high off-target expression in neurons and sparsely in endothelial cells. Here, we report the development of a cassette of four copies of six miRNA targeting sequences (4x6T) which triggers transgene degradation specifically in neurons and endothelial cells. In combination with the GfaABC1D promoter, 4x6T increases astrocytic specificity of Cre with a viral reporter from <50% to >99% in multiple serotypes in mice, and confers astrocyte specificity in multiple recombinases and reporters. We also present empty vectors to add 4x6T to other cargo, independently and in Cre/Dre-dependent forms. This toolbox of AAVs allows rapid manipulation of astrocytes throughout the CNS, is compatible with different AAV serotypes, and demonstrates the efficacy of using multiplexed miRNA targeting sequences to decrease expression in multiple off-target cell populations simultaneously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy J Gleichman
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Riki Kawaguchi
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael V Sofroniew
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - S Thomas Carmichael
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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38
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Ansarifar S, Andreikė G, Nazari M, Labouriau R, Nabavi S, Moreno A. Impact of volume and expression time in an AAV-delivered channelrhodopsin. Mol Brain 2023; 16:77. [PMID: 37950268 PMCID: PMC10638758 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-023-01067-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Optogenetics has revolutionised neuroscience research, but at the same time has brought a plethora of new variables to consider when designing an experiment with AAV-based targeted gene delivery. Some concerns have been raised regarding the impact of AAV injection volume and expression time in relation to longitudinal experimental designs. In this study, we investigated the efficiency of optically evoked post-synaptic responses in connection to two variables: the volume of the injected virus and the expression time of the virus. For this purpose, we expressed the blue-shifted ChR2, oChIEF, employing a widely used AAV vector delivery strategy. We found that the volume of the injected virus has a minimal impact on the efficiency of optically-evoked postsynaptic population responses. The expression time, on the other hand, has a pronounced effect, with a gradual reduction in the population responses beyond 4 weeks of expression. We strongly advise to monitor time-dependent expression profiles when planning or conducting long-term experiments that depend on successful and stable channelrhodopsin expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanaz Ansarifar
- Danish Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Gabija Andreikė
- Danish Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Milad Nazari
- Danish Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Centre for Proteins in Memory (PROMEMO), Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Rodrigo Labouriau
- Applied Statistics Laboratory, Department of Mathematics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Sadegh Nabavi
- Danish Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Centre for Proteins in Memory (PROMEMO), Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Andrea Moreno
- Danish Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
- Centre for Proteins in Memory (PROMEMO), Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
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39
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Khan R, Oskouian B, Lee JY, Hodgin JB, Yang Y, Tassew G, Saba JD. AAV-SPL 2.0, a Modified Adeno-Associated Virus Gene Therapy Agent for the Treatment of Sphingosine Phosphate Lyase Insufficiency Syndrome. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15560. [PMID: 37958544 PMCID: PMC10648410 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242115560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Sphingosine-1-phosphate lyase insufficiency syndrome (SPLIS) is an inborn error of metabolism caused by inactivating mutations in SGPL1, the gene encoding sphingosine-1-phosphate lyase (SPL), an essential enzyme needed to degrade sphingolipids. SPLIS features include glomerulosclerosis, adrenal insufficiency, neurological defects, ichthyosis, and immune deficiency. Currently, there is no cure for SPLIS, and severely affected patients often die in the first years of life. We reported that adeno-associated virus (AAV) 9-mediated SGPL1 gene therapy (AAV-SPL) given to newborn Sgpl1 knockout mice that model SPLIS and die in the first few weeks of life prolonged their survival to 4.5 months and prevented or delayed the onset of SPLIS phenotypes. In this study, we tested the efficacy of a modified AAV-SPL, which we call AAV-SPL 2.0, in which the original cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter driving the transgene is replaced with the synthetic "CAG" promoter used in several clinically approved gene therapy agents. AAV-SPL 2.0 infection of human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells led to 30% higher SPL expression and enzyme activity compared to AAV-SPL. Newborn Sgpl1 knockout mice receiving AAV-SPL 2.0 survived ≥ 5 months and showed normal neurodevelopment, 85% of normal weight gain over the first four months, and delayed onset of proteinuria. Over time, treated mice developed nephrosis and glomerulosclerosis, which likely resulted in their demise. Our overall findings show that AAV-SPL 2.0 performs equal to or better than AAV-SPL. However, improved kidney targeting may be necessary to achieve maximally optimized gene therapy as a potentially lifesaving SPLIS treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranjha Khan
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Babak Oskouian
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Joanna Y Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Jeffrey B Hodgin
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Yingbao Yang
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Gizachew Tassew
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Julie D Saba
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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40
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Riedmayr LM, Hinrichsmeyer KS, Thalhammer SB, Mittas DM, Karguth N, Otify DY, Böhm S, Weber VJ, Bartoschek MD, Splith V, Brümmer M, Ferreira R, Boon N, Wögenstein GM, Grimm C, Wijnholds J, Mehlfeld V, Michalakis S, Fenske S, Biel M, Becirovic E. mRNA trans-splicing dual AAV vectors for (epi)genome editing and gene therapy. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6578. [PMID: 37852949 PMCID: PMC10584818 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42386-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Large genes including several CRISPR-Cas modules like gene activators (CRISPRa) require dual adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors for an efficient in vivo delivery and expression. Current dual AAV vector approaches have important limitations, e.g., low reconstitution efficiency, production of alien proteins, or low flexibility in split site selection. Here, we present a dual AAV vector technology based on reconstitution via mRNA trans-splicing (REVeRT). REVeRT is flexible in split site selection and can efficiently reconstitute different split genes in numerous in vitro models, in human organoids, and in vivo. Furthermore, REVeRT can functionally reconstitute a CRISPRa module targeting genes in various mouse tissues and organs in single or multiplexed approaches upon different routes of administration. Finally, REVeRT enabled the reconstitution of full-length ABCA4 after intravitreal injection in a mouse model of Stargardt disease. Due to its flexibility and efficiency REVeRT harbors great potential for basic research and clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Maria Riedmayr
- Department of Pharmacy - Center for Drug Research, LMU Munich, Munich, 81377, Germany
| | | | | | - David Manuel Mittas
- Department of Pharmacy - Center for Drug Research, LMU Munich, Munich, 81377, Germany
| | - Nina Karguth
- Department of Pharmacy - Center for Drug Research, LMU Munich, Munich, 81377, Germany
| | - Dina Yehia Otify
- Department of Pharmacy - Center for Drug Research, LMU Munich, Munich, 81377, Germany
| | | | - Valentin Johannes Weber
- Laboratory for Retinal Gene Therapy, Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Schlieren, 8952, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Manuela Brümmer
- Department of Pharmacy - Center for Drug Research, LMU Munich, Munich, 81377, Germany
| | - Raphael Ferreira
- Genetics Department, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Nanda Boon
- Department of Ophthalmology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), 2333 ZA, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Gabriele Maria Wögenstein
- Laboratory for Retinal Cell Biology, Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Schlieren, 8952, Switzerland
| | - Christian Grimm
- Laboratory for Retinal Cell Biology, Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Schlieren, 8952, Switzerland
| | - Jan Wijnholds
- Department of Ophthalmology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), 2333 ZA, Leiden, Netherlands
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), 1105 BA, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Verena Mehlfeld
- Department of Pharmacy - Center for Drug Research, LMU Munich, Munich, 81377, Germany
| | - Stylianos Michalakis
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefanie Fenske
- Department of Pharmacy - Center for Drug Research, LMU Munich, Munich, 81377, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, 81377, Germany
| | - Martin Biel
- Department of Pharmacy - Center for Drug Research, LMU Munich, Munich, 81377, Germany
| | - Elvir Becirovic
- Laboratory for Retinal Gene Therapy, Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Schlieren, 8952, Switzerland.
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41
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Kook YH, Lee H, Lee J, Jeong Y, Rho J, Heo WD, Lee S. AAV-compatible optogenetic tools for activating endogenous calcium channels in vivo. Mol Brain 2023; 16:73. [PMID: 37848907 PMCID: PMC10583393 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-023-01061-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Calcium ions (Ca2+) play pivotal roles in regulating diverse brain functions, including cognition, emotion, locomotion, and learning and memory. These functions are intricately regulated by a variety of Ca2+-dependent cellular processes, encompassing synaptic plasticity, neuro/gliotransmitter release, and gene expression. In our previous work, we developed 'monster OptoSTIM1' (monSTIM1), an improved OptoSTIM1 that selectively activates Ca2+-release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channels in the plasma membrane through blue light, allowing precise control over intracellular Ca2+ signaling and specific brain functions. However, the large size of the coding sequence of monSTIM1 poses a limitation for its widespread use, as it exceeds the packaging capacity of adeno-associated virus (AAV). To address this constraint, we have introduced monSTIM1 variants with reduced coding sequence sizes and established AAV-based systems for expressing them in neurons and glial cells in the mouse brain. Upon expression by AAVs, these monSTIM1 variants significantly increased the expression levels of cFos in neurons and astrocytes in the hippocampal CA1 region following non-invasive light illumination. The use of monSTIM1 variants offers a promising avenue for investigating the spatiotemporal roles of Ca2+-mediated cellular activities in various brain functions. Furthermore, this toolkit holds potential as a therapeutic strategy for addressing brain disorders associated with aberrant Ca2+ signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeon Hee Kook
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, 34126, Republic of Korea
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 34134, Korea
| | - Hyoin Lee
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, 34126, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinsu Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeonji Jeong
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaerang Rho
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 34134, Korea
| | - Won Do Heo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.
- KAIST Institute for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.
| | - Sangkyu Lee
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, 34126, Republic of Korea.
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42
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Hudry E, Aihara F, Meseck E, Mansfield K, McElroy C, Chand D, Tukov FF, Penraat K. Liver injury in cynomolgus monkeys following intravenous and intrathecal scAAV9 gene therapy delivery. Mol Ther 2023; 31:2999-3014. [PMID: 37515322 PMCID: PMC10556189 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatotoxicity associated with intravenous/intrathecal adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy has been observed in preclinical species and patients. In nonhuman primates, hepatotoxicity following self-complementary AAV9 administration varies from asymptomatic transaminase elevation with minimal to mild microscopic changes to symptomatic elevations of liver function and thromboinflammatory markers with microscopic changes consistent with marked hepatocellular necrosis and deteriorating clinical condition. These transient acute liver injury marker elevations occur from 3-4 days post intravenous administration to ∼2 weeks post intrathecal administration. No transaminase elevation or microscopic changes were observed with intrathecal administration of empty capsids or a "promoterless genome" vector, suggesting that liver injury after cerebrospinal fluid dosing in nonhuman primates is driven by viral transduction and transgene expression. Co-administration of prednisolone after intravenous or intrathecal dosing did not prevent liver enzyme or microscopic changes despite a reduction of T lymphocyte infiltration in liver tissue. Similarly, co-administration of rituximab/everolimus with intrathecal dosing failed to block AAV-driven hepatotoxicity. Self-complementary AAV-induced acute liver injury appears to correlate with high hepatocellular vector load, macrophage activation, and type 1 interferon innate virus-sensing pathway responses. The current work characterizes key aspects pertaining to early AAV-driven hepatotoxicity in cynomolgus macaques, highlighting the usefulness of this nonclinical species in that context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eloise Hudry
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - Fumiaki Aihara
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Emily Meseck
- Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, NJ 07936, USA
| | - Keith Mansfield
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Cameron McElroy
- Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, NJ 07936, USA
| | - Deepa Chand
- Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, NJ 07936, USA; Children's Hospital of Illinois, University of Illinois College of Medicine - Peoria, Peoria, IL 63110, USA
| | | | - Kelley Penraat
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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43
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Giles A, Lock M, Chen SJ, Turner K, Wesolowski G, Prongay A, Petkov BN, Olagbegi K, Yan H, Wilson JM. Significant Differences in Capsid Properties and Potency Between Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors Produced in Sf9 and HEK293 Cells. Hum Gene Ther 2023; 34:1003-1021. [PMID: 37597192 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2022.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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] [Indexed: 08/21/2023] Open
Abstract
For successful vector-based gene therapy manufacturing, the selected adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector production system must produce vector at sufficient scale. However, concerns have arisen regarding the quality of vector produced using different systems. In this study, we compared AAV serotypes 1, 8, and 9 produced by two different systems (Sf9/baculovirus and HEK293/transfection) and purified by two separate processes. We evaluated capsid properties, including protein composition, post-translational modification, particle content profiles, and in vitro and in vivo vector potency. Vectors produced in the Sf9/baculovirus system displayed reduced incorporation of viral protein 1 and 2 into the capsid, increased capsid protein deamidation, increased empty and partially packaged particles in vector preparations, and an overall reduced potency. The differences observed were largely independent of the harvest method and purification process. These findings illustrate the need for careful consideration when choosing an AAV vector production system for clinical production.
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Affiliation(s)
- April Giles
- Gene Therapy Program, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Martin Lock
- Gene Therapy Program, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Shu-Jen Chen
- Gene Therapy Program, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kevin Turner
- Gene Therapy Program, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Gregg Wesolowski
- Gene Therapy Program, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Andrew Prongay
- Gene Therapy Program, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Boris N Petkov
- Gene Therapy Program, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kanyin Olagbegi
- Gene Therapy Program, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Hanying Yan
- Gene Therapy Program, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - James M Wilson
- Gene Therapy Program, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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44
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Tejero M, Duzenli OF, Caine C, Kuoch H, Aslanidi G. Bioengineered Hybrid Rep 2/6 Gene Improves Encapsulation of a Single-Stranded Expression Cassette into AAV6 Vectors. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1866. [PMID: 37895215 PMCID: PMC10606878 DOI: 10.3390/genes14101866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The production of clinical-grade recombinant adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors for gene therapy trials remains a major hurdle in the further advancement of the gene therapy field. During the past decades, AAV research has been predominantly focused on the development of new capsid modifications, vector-associated immunogenicity, and the scale-up vector production. However, limited studies have examined the possibility to manipulate non-structural components of AAV such as the Rep genes. Historically, naturally isolated, or recombinant library-derived AAV capsids have been produced using the AAV serotype 2 Rep gene to package ITR2-flanked vector genomes. In the current study, we mutated four variable amino acids in the conservative part of the binding domain in AAV serotype 6 Rep to generate a Rep2/6 hybrid gene. This newly generated Rep2/6 hybrid had improved packaging ability over wild-type Rep6. AAV vectors produced with Rep2/6 exhibited similar in vivo activity as standard AAV6 vectors. Furthermore, we show that this Rep2/6 hybrid also improves full/empty capsid ratios, suggesting that Rep bioengineering can be used to improve the ratio of fully encapsulated AAV vectors during upstream manufacturing processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Tejero
- Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, 801 16th Avenue NE, Austin, MN 55455, USA; (M.T.)
| | - Ozgun F. Duzenli
- Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, 801 16th Avenue NE, Austin, MN 55455, USA; (M.T.)
| | - Colin Caine
- Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, 801 16th Avenue NE, Austin, MN 55455, USA; (M.T.)
| | - Hisae Kuoch
- Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, 801 16th Avenue NE, Austin, MN 55455, USA; (M.T.)
| | - George Aslanidi
- Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, 801 16th Avenue NE, Austin, MN 55455, USA; (M.T.)
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- Institute Molecular Virology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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45
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Kondratov O, Zolotukhin S. Exploring the Comprehensive Kozak Sequence Landscape for AAV Production in Sf9 System. Viruses 2023; 15:1983. [PMID: 37896760 PMCID: PMC10612025 DOI: 10.3390/v15101983] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The widespread successful use of recombinant Adeno-associated virus (rAAV) in gene therapy has driven the demand for scale-up manufacturing methods of vectors with optimized yield and transduction efficiency. The Baculovirus/Sf9 system is a promising platform for high yield production; however, a major drawback to using an invertebrate cell line compared to a mammalian system is a generally altered AAV capsid stoichiometry resulting in lower biological potency. Here, we introduce a term of the structural and biological "fitness" of an AAV capsid as a function of two interdependent parameters: (1) packaging efficiency (yield), and (2) transduction efficiency (infectivity). Both parameters are critically dependent on AAV capsid structural proteins VP1/2/3 stoichiometry. To identify an optimal AAV capsid composition, we developed a novel Directed Evolution (DE) protocol for assessing the structural and biological fitness of Sf9-manufactured rAAV for any given serotype. The approach involves the packaging of a combinatorial capsid library in insect Sf9 cells, followed by a library screening for high infectivity in human Cre-recombinase-expressing C12 cells. One single DE selection round, complemented by Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) and guided by in silico analysis, identifies a small subset of VP1 translation initiation sites (known as Kozak sequence) encoding "fit" AAV capsids characterized by a high production yield and superior transduction efficiencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleksandr Kondratov
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Therapy, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA;
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46
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Whitehead M, Sage A, Burgoyne T, Osborne A, Yu-Wai-Man P, Martin KR. Immunobiology of a rationally-designed AAV2 capsid following intravitreal delivery in mice. Gene Ther 2023; 30:723-735. [PMID: 37386155 PMCID: PMC10506909 DOI: 10.1038/s41434-023-00409-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus serotype 2 (AAV2) is a viral vector that can be used to deliver therapeutic genes to diseased cells in the retina. One strategy for altering AAV2 vectors involves the mutation of phosphodegron residues, which are thought to be phosphorylated/ubiquitinated in the cytosol, facilitating degradation of the vector and the inhibition of transduction. As such, mutation of phosphodegron residues have been correlated with increased transduction of target cells, however, an assessment of the immunobiology of wild-type and phosphodegron mutant AAV2 vectors following intravitreal (IVT) delivery to immunocompetent animals is lacking in the current literature. In this study, we show that IVT of a triple phosphodegron mutant AAV2 capsid is associated with higher levels of humoral immune activation, infiltration of CD4 and CD8 T-cells into the retina, generation of splenic germinal centre reactions, activation of conventional dendritic cell subsets, and elevated retinal gliosis compared to wild-type AAV2 capsids. However, we did not detect significant changes in electroretinography arising after vector administration. We also demonstrate that the triple AAV2 mutant capsid is less susceptible to neutralisation by soluble heparan sulphate and anti-AAV2 neutralising antibodies, highlighting a possible utility for the vector in terms of circumventing pre-existing humoral immunity. In summary, the present study highlights novel aspects of rationally-designed vector immunobiology, which may be relevant to their application in preclinical and clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Whitehead
- John Van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Andrew Sage
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - Tom Burgoyne
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
- Paediatric Respiratory Medicine, Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia Centre, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Andrew Osborne
- John Van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Patrick Yu-Wai-Man
- John Van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
| | - Keith R Martin
- John Van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome Trust-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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47
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Chern KJ, Issac KZ, Gumbs ZD, O'Connor ME, Lawrence MS, Lipinski DM. Tolerability and tropism of recombinant adeno-associated virus vectors in the African green monkey (Chlorocebus sabaeus) anterior chamber. Gene Ther 2023; 30:714-722. [PMID: 37221271 DOI: 10.1038/s41434-023-00407-z] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
While many studies have investigated the use of recombinant adeno-associated vectors (rAAV) in the posterior chamber for treatment of inherited retinal diseases, fewer studies have looked at rAAV's ability to transduce cells within the anterior chamber. This study focuses on evaluating the tropism and tolerability of three rAAV serotypes-rAAV2/6, rAAV2/9, and rAAV2/2[MAX]-expressing a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter following intracameral injection in the non-human primate (NHP) African green monkey (Chlorocebus sabaeus) model. Injection of high dose (1 × 1012 vg/eye) rAAV vector resulted in transient inflammation characterized by aqueous flare and cellular infiltrate that resolved without intervention in all serotypes. Post-mortem histology revealed widespread expression of GFP in cells of the trabecular meshwork and iris in high dose rAAV2/6, rAAV2/9, and particularly rAAV2/2[MAX] eyes, indicating that rAAV vectors of these serotypes have broad tropism for cells of the anterior chamber and may facilitate the treatment of blinding disorders, such as glaucoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina J Chern
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Daniel M Lipinski
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
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48
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Meena NK, Randazzo D, Raben N, Puertollano R. AAV-mediated delivery of secreted acid α-glucosidase with enhanced uptake corrects neuromuscular pathology in Pompe mice. JCI Insight 2023; 8:e170199. [PMID: 37463048 PMCID: PMC10543735 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.170199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene therapy is under advanced clinical development for several lysosomal storage disorders. Pompe disease, a debilitating neuromuscular illness affecting infants, children, and adults with different severity, is caused by a deficiency of lysosomal glycogen-degrading enzyme acid α-glucosidase (GAA). Here, we demonstrated that adeno-associated virus-mediated (AAV-mediated) systemic gene transfer reversed glycogen storage in all key therapeutic targets - skeletal and cardiac muscles, the diaphragm, and the central nervous system - in both young and severely affected old Gaa-knockout mice. Furthermore, the therapy reversed secondary cellular abnormalities in skeletal muscle, such as those in autophagy and mTORC1/AMPK signaling. We used an AAV9 vector encoding a chimeric human GAA protein with enhanced uptake and secretion to facilitate efficient spread of the expressed protein among multiple target tissues. These results lay the groundwork for a future clinical development strategy in Pompe disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naresh K. Meena
- Cell and Developmental Biology Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Davide Randazzo
- Light Imaging Section, Office of Science and Technology, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Nina Raben
- Cell and Developmental Biology Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Rosa Puertollano
- Cell and Developmental Biology Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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49
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Kimura K, Nagai Y, Hatanaka G, Fang Y, Tanabe S, Zheng A, Fujiwara M, Nakano M, Hori Y, Takeuchi RF, Inagaki M, Minamimoto T, Fujita I, Inoue KI, Takada M. A mosaic adeno-associated virus vector as a versatile tool that exhibits high levels of transgene expression and neuron specificity in primate brain. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4762. [PMID: 37553329 PMCID: PMC10409865 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40436-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent emphasis has been placed on gene transduction mediated through recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector to manipulate activity of neurons and their circuitry in the primate brain. In the present study, we created a novel vector of which capsid was composed of capsid proteins derived from both of the AAV serotypes 1 and 2 (AAV1 and AAV2). Following the injection into the frontal cortex of macaque monkeys, this mosaic vector, termed AAV2.1 vector, was found to exhibit the excellence in transgene expression (for AAV1 vector) and neuron specificity (for AAV2 vector) simultaneously. To explore its applicability to chemogenetic manipulation and in vivo calcium imaging, the AAV2.1 vector expressing excitatory DREADDs or GCaMP was injected into the striatum or the visual cortex of macaque monkeys, respectively. Our results have defined that such vectors secure intense and stable expression of the target proteins and yield conspicuous modulation and imaging of neuronal activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kei Kimura
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Department of Neuroscience, Primate Research Institute, and Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan
| | - Yuji Nagai
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan
| | - Gaku Hatanaka
- Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-4 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology and Osaka University, 1-4 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yang Fang
- Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-4 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology and Osaka University, 1-4 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Soshi Tanabe
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Department of Neuroscience, Primate Research Institute, and Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan
| | - Andi Zheng
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Department of Neuroscience, Primate Research Institute, and Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan
| | - Maki Fujiwara
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Department of Neuroscience, Primate Research Institute, and Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan
| | - Mayuko Nakano
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Department of Neuroscience, Primate Research Institute, and Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan
| | - Yukiko Hori
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan
| | - Ryosuke F Takeuchi
- Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-4 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology and Osaka University, 1-4 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Mikio Inagaki
- Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-4 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology and Osaka University, 1-4 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Takafumi Minamimoto
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan
| | - Ichiro Fujita
- Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-4 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology and Osaka University, 1-4 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Ken-Ichi Inoue
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Department of Neuroscience, Primate Research Institute, and Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan.
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Saitama, 332-0012, Japan.
| | - Masahiko Takada
- Systems Neuroscience Section, Department of Neuroscience, Primate Research Institute, and Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan.
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50
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Ramirez SH, Hale JF, McCarthy S, Cardenas CL, Dona KNUG, Hanlon KS, Hudry E, Cruz DDL, Ng C, Das S, Nguyen DM, Nammour J, Bennett RE, Andrews AM, Musolino PL, Maguire CA. An Engineered Adeno-Associated Virus Capsid Mediates Efficient Transduction of Pericytes and Smooth Muscle Cells of the Brain Vasculature. Hum Gene Ther 2023; 34:682-696. [PMID: 37376759 PMCID: PMC10457656 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2022.211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegeneration and cerebrovascular disease share an underlying microvascular dysfunction that may be remedied by selective transgene delivery. To date, limited options exist in which cellular components of the brain vasculature can be effectively targeted by viral vector therapeutics. In this study, we characterize the first engineered adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsid mediating high transduction of cerebral vascular pericytes and smooth muscle cells (SMCs). We performed two rounds of in vivo selection with an AAV capsid scaffold displaying a heptamer peptide library to isolate capsids that traffic to the brain after intravenous delivery. One identified capsid, termed AAV-PR, demonstrated high transduction of the brain vasculature, in contrast to the parental capsid, AAV9, which transduces mainly neurons and astrocytes. Further analysis using tissue clearing, volumetric rendering, and colocalization revealed that AAV-PR enabled high transduction of cerebral pericytes located on small-caliber vessels and SMCs in the larger arterioles and penetrating pial arteries. Analysis of tissues in the periphery indicated that AAV-PR also transduced SMCs in large vessels associated with the systemic vasculature. AAV-PR was also able to transduce primary human brain pericytes with higher efficiency than AAV9. Compared with previously published AAV capsids tropisms, AAV-PR represents the first capsid to allow for effective transduction of brain pericytes and SMCs and offers the possibility of genetically modulating these cell types in the context of neurodegeneration and other neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Servio H. Ramirez
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Shriners Hospitals Pediatric Research Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jonathan F. Hale
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Shriners Hospitals Pediatric Research Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Siobhan McCarthy
- Center for Genomic Medicine; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Christian L. Cardenas
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Cardiology; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kalpani N. Udeni Galpayage Dona
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Shriners Hospitals Pediatric Research Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Killian S. Hanlon
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Eloise Hudry
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Demitri De La Cruz
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Carrie Ng
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sabyasachi Das
- Center for Genomic Medicine; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Diane M. Nguyen
- Department of Neurology; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Josette Nammour
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rachel E. Bennett
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Allison M. Andrews
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Shriners Hospitals Pediatric Research Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Patricia L. Musolino
- Center for Genomic Medicine; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Casey A. Maguire
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
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