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Luo S, Jiang H, Li Q, Qin Y, Yang S, Li J, Xu L, Gou Y, Zhang Y, Liu F, Ke X, Zheng Q, Sun X. An adeno-associated virus variant enabling efficient ocular-directed gene delivery across species. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3780. [PMID: 38710714 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48221-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs) have emerged as promising gene therapy vectors due to their proven efficacy and safety in clinical applications. In non-human primates (NHPs), rAAVs are administered via suprachoroidal injection at a higher dose. However, high doses of rAAVs tend to increase additional safety risks. Here, we present a novel AAV capsid (AAVv128), which exhibits significantly enhanced transduction efficiency for photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, along with a broader distribution across the layers of retinal tissues in different animal models (mice, rabbits, and NHPs) following intraocular injection. Notably, the suprachoroidal delivery of AAVv128-anti-VEGF vector completely suppresses the Grade IV lesions in a laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV) NHP model for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Furthermore, cryo-EM analysis at 2.1 Å resolution reveals that the critical residues of AAVv128 exhibit a more robust advantage in AAV binding, the nuclear uptake and endosome escaping. Collectively, our findings highlight the potential of AAVv128 as a next generation ocular gene therapy vector, particularly using the suprachoroidal delivery route.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Luo
- Chengdu Origen Biotechnology Co. Ltd, Chengdu, 610036, China
- Key Laboratory of Drug-Targeting and Drug Delivery System of the Education Ministry and Sichuan Province, Sichuan Engineering Laboratory for Plant-Sourced Drug and Sichuan Research Center for Drug Precision Industrial Technology, West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Biomedicine, Chengdu, 610036, China
| | - Hao Jiang
- Chengdu Origen Biotechnology Co. Ltd, Chengdu, 610036, China
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Biomedicine, Chengdu, 610036, China
| | - Qingwei Li
- Chengdu Origen Biotechnology Co. Ltd, Chengdu, 610036, China
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Biomedicine, Chengdu, 610036, China
| | - Yingfei Qin
- Chengdu Origen Biotechnology Co. Ltd, Chengdu, 610036, China
| | - Shiping Yang
- Chengdu Origen Biotechnology Co. Ltd, Chengdu, 610036, China
| | - Jing Li
- Chengdu Origen Biotechnology Co. Ltd, Chengdu, 610036, China
| | - Lingli Xu
- Chengdu Origen Biotechnology Co. Ltd, Chengdu, 610036, China
| | - Yan Gou
- Chengdu Origen Biotechnology Co. Ltd, Chengdu, 610036, China
| | - Yafei Zhang
- Chengdu Origen Biotechnology Co. Ltd, Chengdu, 610036, China
| | - Fengjiang Liu
- Innovative Center for Pathogen Research, Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, 510005, China
| | - Xiao Ke
- Chengdu Origen Biotechnology Co. Ltd, Chengdu, 610036, China.
- Chengdu Kanghong Pharmaceuticals Group Co Ltd, Chengdu, 610036, China.
| | - Qiang Zheng
- Chengdu Origen Biotechnology Co. Ltd, Chengdu, 610036, China.
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Biomedicine, Chengdu, 610036, China.
| | - Xun Sun
- Key Laboratory of Drug-Targeting and Drug Delivery System of the Education Ministry and Sichuan Province, Sichuan Engineering Laboratory for Plant-Sourced Drug and Sichuan Research Center for Drug Precision Industrial Technology, West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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Buck TM, Wijnholds J. Recombinant Adeno-Associated Viral Vectors (rAAV)-Vector Elements in Ocular Gene Therapy Clinical Trials and Transgene Expression and Bioactivity Assays. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E4197. [PMID: 32545533 PMCID: PMC7352801 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21124197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Inherited retinal dystrophies and optic neuropathies cause chronic disabling loss of visual function. The development of recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors (rAAV) gene therapies in all disease fields have been promising, but the translation to the clinic has been slow. The safety and efficacy profiles of rAAV are linked to the dose of applied vectors. DNA changes in the rAAV gene cassette affect potency, the expression pattern (cell-specificity), and the production yield. Here, we present a library of rAAV vectors and elements that provide a workflow to design novel vectors. We first performed a meta-analysis on recombinant rAAV elements in clinical trials (2007-2020) for ocular gene therapies. We analyzed 33 unique rAAV gene cassettes used in 57 ocular clinical trials. The rAAV gene therapy vectors used six unique capsid variants, 16 different promoters, and six unique polyadenylation sequences. Further, we compiled a list of promoters, enhancers, and other sequences used in current rAAV gene cassettes in preclinical studies. Then, we give an update on pro-viral plasmid backbones used to produce the gene therapy vectors, inverted terminal repeats, production yield, and rAAV safety considerations. Finally, we assess rAAV transgene and bioactivity assays applied to cells or organoids in vitro, explants ex vivo, and clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thilo M. Buck
- Department of Ophthalmology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), 2333 ZC Leiden, The Netherlands;
| | - Jan Wijnholds
- Department of Ophthalmology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), 2333 ZC Leiden, The Netherlands;
- Netherlands Institute of Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Chung SH, Mollhoff IN, Nguyen U, Nguyen A, Stucka N, Tieu E, Manna S, Meleppat RK, Zhang P, Nguyen EL, Fong J, Zawadzki R, Yiu G. Factors Impacting Efficacy of AAV-Mediated CRISPR-Based Genome Editing for Treatment of Choroidal Neovascularization. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2020; 17:409-417. [PMID: 32128346 PMCID: PMC7044682 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2020.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Frequent injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents are a clinical burden for patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Genomic disruption of VEGF-A using adeno-associated viral (AAV) delivery of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 has the potential to permanently suppress aberrant angiogenesis, but the factors that determine the optimal efficacy are unknown. Here, we investigate two widely used Cas9 endonucleases, SpCas9 and SaCas9, and evaluate the relative contribution of AAV-delivery efficiency and genome-editing rates in vivo to determine the mechanisms that drive successful CRISPR-based suppression of VEGF-A, using a mouse model of laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV). We found that SpCas9 demonstrated higher genome-editing rates, greater VEGF reduction, and more effective CNV suppression than SaCas9, despite similar AAV transduction efficiency between a dual-vector approach for SpCas9 and single-vector system for SaCas9 to deliver the Cas9 orthologs and single guide RNAs (gRNAs). Our results suggest that successful VEGF knockdown using AAV-mediated CRISPR systems may be determined more by the efficiency of genome editing rather than viral transduction and that SpCas9 may be more effective than SaCas9 as a potential therapeutic strategy for CRISPR-based treatment of CNV in neovascular AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sook Hyun Chung
- Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Iris Natalie Mollhoff
- Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Uyen Nguyen
- Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Amy Nguyen
- Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Natalie Stucka
- Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Eric Tieu
- Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Suman Manna
- Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Ratheesh Kumar Meleppat
- Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Pengfei Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Emerald Lovece Nguyen
- Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Jared Fong
- Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Robert Zawadzki
- Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Glenn Yiu
- Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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Considerations for the use of virally delivered genetic tools for in-vivo circuit analysis and behavior in mutant mice: a practical guide to optogenetics. Behav Pharmacol 2018; 28:598-609. [PMID: 29099403 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Optogenetics was the method of the year in 2010 according to Nature Neuroscience. Since then, this method has become widespread, the use of virally delivered genetic tools has extended to other fields such as pharmacogenetics, and optogenetic techniques have become frequently applied in genetically manipulated animals for in-vivo circuit analysis and behavioral studies. However, several issues should be taken into consideration when planning such experiments. We aimed to summarize the critical points concerning optogenetic manipulation of a specific brain area in mutant mice. First, the appropriate vector should be chosen to allow optimal optogenetic manipulation. Adeno-associated viral vectors are the most common carriers with different available serotypes. Light-sensitive channels are available in many forms, and the expression of the delivered genetic material can be influenced in many ways. Second, selecting the adequate stimulation protocol is also essential. The pattern, intensity, and timing could be determinative parameters. Third, the mutant strain might have a phenotype that influences the observed behavior. In conclusion, detailed preliminary experiments and numerous control groups are required to choose the best vector and stimulation protocol and to ensure that the mutant animals do not have a specific phenotype that can influence the examined behavior.
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Petit L, Ma S, Cheng SY, Gao G, Punzo C. Rod Outer Segment Development Influences AAV-Mediated Photoreceptor Transduction After Subretinal Injection. Hum Gene Ther 2018; 28:464-481. [PMID: 28510482 PMCID: PMC5488363 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2017.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Vectors based on the adeno-associated virus (AAV) are currently the preferred tools for delivering genes to photoreceptors (PR) in small and large animals. AAVs have been applied successfully in various models of PR dystrophies. However, unknown barriers still limit AAV's efficient application in several forms of severe PR degenerations due to insufficient transgene expression and/or treated cells at the time of injection. Optimizations of PR gene therapy strategies will likely benefit from the identification of the cellular factors that influence PR transduction. Interestingly, recent studies have shown that the AAV transduction profile of PRs differs significantly between neonatal and adult mouse retinas after subretinal injection. This phenomenon may provide clues to identify host factors that influence the efficiency of AAV-mediated PR transduction. This study demonstrates that rod outer segments are critical modulators of efficient AAV-mediated rod transduction. During retinal development, rod transduction correlated temporally and spatially with the differentiation order of PRs when vectors were introduced subretinally but not when introduced intravitreally. All subretinally injected vectors had an initial preference to transduce cones in the absence of formed rod outer segments and then displayed a preference for rods as the cells matured, independently of the expression cassette or AAV serotype. Consistent with this observation, altered development of rod outer segments was associated with a strong reduction of rod transduction and an increase in the percentage of transduced cones by 2- to 2.8-fold. A similar increase of cone transduction was observed in the adult retinal degeneration 1 (rd1) retina compared to wild-type mice. These results suggest that the loss of rod outer segments in diseased retinas could markedly affect gene transfer efficiency of AAV vectors by limiting the ability of AAVs to infect dying rods efficiently. This information could be exploited for the development of more efficient AAV-based PR gene delivery procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lolita Petit
- 1 Department of Ophthalmology and Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School , Worcester, Massachusetts
| | - Shan Ma
- 1 Department of Ophthalmology and Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School , Worcester, Massachusetts
| | - Shun-Yun Cheng
- 1 Department of Ophthalmology and Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School , Worcester, Massachusetts
| | - Guangping Gao
- 3 Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems and Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School , Worcester, Massachusetts
| | - Claudio Punzo
- 1 Department of Ophthalmology and Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School , Worcester, Massachusetts.,2 Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School , Worcester, Massachusetts
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Dashkoff J, Lerner EP, Truong N, Klickstein JA, Fan Z, Mu D, Maguire CA, Hyman BT, Hudry E. Tailored transgene expression to specific cell types in the central nervous system after peripheral injection with AAV9. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2016; 3:16081. [PMID: 27933308 PMCID: PMC5142512 DOI: 10.1038/mtm.2016.81] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Revised: 10/22/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The capacity of certain adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors to cross the blood–brain barrier after intravenous delivery offers a unique opportunity for noninvasive brain delivery. However, without a well-tailored system, the use of a peripheral route injection may lead to undesirable transgene expression in nontarget cells or organs. To refine this approach, the present study characterizes the transduction profiles of new self-complementary AAV9 (scAAV9) expressing the green fluorescent protein (GFP) either under an astrocyte (glial fibrillary acidic (GFA) protein) or neuronal (Synapsin (Syn)) promoter, after intravenous injection of adult mice (2 × 1013 vg/kg). ScAAV9-GFA-GFP and scAAV9-Syn-GFP robustly transduce astrocytes (11%) and neurons (17%), respectively, without aberrant expression leakage. Interestingly, while the percentages of GFP-positive astrocytes with scAAV9-GFA-GFP are similar to the performances observed with scAAV9-CBA-GFP (broadly active promoter), significant higher percentages of neurons express GFP with scAAV9-Syn-GFP. GFP-positive excitatory as well as inhibitory neurons are observed, as well as motor neurons in the spinal cord. Additionally, both activated (GFAP-positive) and resting astrocytes (GFAP-negative) express the reporter gene after scAAV9-GFA-GFP injection. These data thoroughly characterize the gene expression specificity of AAVs fitted with neuronal and astrocyte-selective promoters after intravenous delivery, which will prove useful for central nervous system (CNS) gene therapy approaches in which peripheral expression of transgene is a concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Dashkoff
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Eli P Lerner
- MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School , Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nhi Truong
- MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School , Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jacob A Klickstein
- MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School , Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Zhanyun Fan
- MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School , Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Dakai Mu
- Department of Neurology, The Massachusetts General Hospital, and NeuroDiscovery Center, Harvard Medical School , Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Casey A Maguire
- Department of Neurology, The Massachusetts General Hospital, and NeuroDiscovery Center, Harvard Medical School , Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School , Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Eloise Hudry
- MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School , Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
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Nassi JJ, Cepko CL, Born RT, Beier KT. Neuroanatomy goes viral! Front Neuroanat 2015; 9:80. [PMID: 26190977 PMCID: PMC4486834 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2015.00080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2015] [Accepted: 05/25/2015] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The nervous system is complex not simply because of the enormous number of neurons it contains but by virtue of the specificity with which they are connected. Unraveling this specificity is the task of neuroanatomy. In this endeavor, neuroanatomists have traditionally exploited an impressive array of tools ranging from the Golgi method to electron microscopy. An ideal method for studying anatomy would label neurons that are interconnected, and, in addition, allow expression of foreign genes in these neurons. Fortuitously, nature has already partially developed such a method in the form of neurotropic viruses, which have evolved to deliver their genetic material between synaptically connected neurons while largely eluding glia and the immune system. While these characteristics make some of these viruses a threat to human health, simple modifications allow them to be used in controlled experimental settings, thus enabling neuroanatomists to trace multi-synaptic connections within and across brain regions. Wild-type neurotropic viruses, such as rabies and alpha-herpes virus, have already contributed greatly to our understanding of brain connectivity, and modern molecular techniques have enabled the construction of recombinant forms of these and other viruses. These newly engineered reagents are particularly useful, as they can target genetically defined populations of neurons, spread only one synapse to either inputs or outputs, and carry instructions by which the targeted neurons can be made to express exogenous proteins, such as calcium sensors or light-sensitive ion channels, that can be used to study neuronal function. In this review, we address these uniquely powerful features of the viruses already in the neuroanatomist's toolbox, as well as the aspects of their biology that currently limit their utility. Based on the latter, we consider strategies for improving viral tracing methods by reducing toxicity, improving control of transsynaptic spread, and extending the range of species that can be studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan J Nassi
- Systems Neurobiology Laboratories, Salk Institute for Biological Studies La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Constance L Cepko
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School Boston, MA, USA ; Department of Ophthalmology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School Boston, MA, USA
| | - Richard T Born
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School Boston, MA, USA ; Center for Brain Science, Harvard University Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kevin T Beier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Department of Biology, Stanford University Stanford, CA, USA
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