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Cheng Y, Zhang S, Shang H. Latest advances on new promising molecular-based therapeutic approaches for Huntington's disease. J Transl Int Med 2024; 12:134-147. [PMID: 38779119 PMCID: PMC11107186 DOI: 10.2478/jtim-2023-0142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a devastating, autosomal-dominant inherited, neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive motor deficits, cognitive impairments, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. It is caused by excessive cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) trinucleotide repeats within the huntingtin gene (HTT). Presently, therapeutic interventions capable of altering the trajectory of HD are lacking, while medications for abnormal movement and psychiatric symptoms are limited. Numerous pre-clinical and clinical studies have been conducted and are currently underway to test the efficacy of therapeutic approaches targeting some of these mechanisms with varying degrees of success. In this review, we update the latest advances on new promising molecular-based therapeutic strategies for this disorder, including DNA-targeting techniques such as zinc-finger proteins, transcription activator-like effector nucleases, and CRISPR/Cas9; post-transcriptional huntingtin-lowering approaches such as RNAi, antisense oligonucleotides, and small-molecule splicing modulators; and novel methods to clear the mHTT protein, such as proteolysis-targeting chimeras. We mainly focus on the ongoing clinical trials and the latest pre-clinical studies to explore the progress of emerging potential HD therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangfan Cheng
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Rare disease center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Sirui Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Rare disease center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Huifang Shang
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Rare disease center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu610041, Sichuan Province, China
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2
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Nouraein S, Lee S, Saenz VA, Del Mundo HC, Yiu J, Szablowski JO. Acoustically targeted noninvasive gene therapy in large brain volumes. Gene Ther 2024; 31:85-94. [PMID: 37696982 DOI: 10.1038/s41434-023-00421-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Focused Ultrasound Blood-Brain Barrier Opening (FUS-BBBO) can deliver adeno-associated viral vectors (AAVs) to treat genetic disorders of the brain. However, such disorders often affect large brain regions. Moreover, the applicability of FUS-BBBO in the treatment of brain-wide genetic disorders has not yet been evaluated. Herein, we evaluated the transduction efficiency and safety of opening up to 105 sites simultaneously. Increasing the number of targeted sites increased gene delivery efficiency at each site. We achieved transduction of up to 60% of brain cells with comparable efficiency in the majority of the brain regions. Furthermore, gene delivery with FUS-BBBO was safe even when all 105 sites were targeted simultaneously without negative effects on animal weight or neuronal loss. To evaluate the application of multi-site FUS-BBBO for gene therapy, we used it for gene editing using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated 9 (Cas9) system and found effective gene editing, but also a loss of neurons at the targeted sites. Overall, this study provides a brain-wide map of transduction efficiency, shows the synergistic effect of multi-site targeting on transduction efficiency, and is the first example of large brain volume gene editing after noninvasive gene delivery with FUS-BBBO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirin Nouraein
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Rice Neuroengineering Initiative, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Synthetic, Systems, and Physical Biology Program, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Sangsin Lee
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Rice Neuroengineering Initiative, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Vidal A Saenz
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | | | - Joycelyn Yiu
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jerzy O Szablowski
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Rice Neuroengineering Initiative, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Synthetic, Systems, and Physical Biology Program, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA.
- Applied Physics Program, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA.
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3
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Caron NS, Aly AEE, Findlay Black H, Martin DDO, Schmidt ME, Ko S, Anderson C, Harvey EM, Casal LL, Anderson LM, Rahavi SMR, Reid GSD, Oda MN, Stanimirovic D, Abulrob A, McBride JL, Leavitt BR, Hayden MR. Systemic delivery of mutant huntingtin lowering antisense oligonucleotides to the brain using apolipoprotein A-I nanodisks for Huntington disease. J Control Release 2024; 367:27-44. [PMID: 38215984 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Efficient delivery of therapeutics to the central nervous system (CNS) remains a major challenge for the treatment of neurological diseases. Huntington disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG trinucleotide expansion mutation in the HTT gene which codes for a toxic mutant huntingtin (mHTT) protein. Pharmacological reduction of mHTT in the CNS using antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) ameliorates HD-like phenotypes in rodent models of HD, with such therapies being investigated in clinical trials for HD. In this study, we report the optimization of apolipoprotein A-I nanodisks (apoA-I NDs) as vehicles for delivery of a HTT-targeted ASO (HTT ASO) to the brain and peripheral organs for HD. We demonstrate that apoA-I wild type (WT) and the apoA-I K133C mutant incubated with a synthetic lipid, 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, can self-assemble into monodisperse discoidal particles with diameters <20 nm that transmigrate across an in vitro blood-brain barrier model of HD. We demonstrate that apoA-I NDs are well tolerated in vivo, and that apoA-I K133C NDs show enhanced distribution to the CNS and peripheral organs compared to apoA-I WT NDs following systemic administration. ApoA-I K133C conjugated with HTT ASO forms NDs (HTT ASO NDs) that induce significant mHTT lowering in the liver, skeletal muscle and heart as well as in the brain when delivered intravenously in the BACHD mouse model of HD. Furthermore, HTT ASO NDs increase the magnitude of mHTT lowering in the striatum and cortex compared to HTT ASO alone following intracerebroventricular administration. These findings demonstrate the potential utility of apoA-I NDs as biocompatible vehicles for enhancing delivery of mutant HTT lowering ASOs to the CNS and peripheral organs for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas S Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Amirah E-E Aly
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Hailey Findlay Black
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Dale D O Martin
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mandi E Schmidt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Seunghyun Ko
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Christine Anderson
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Emily M Harvey
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lorenzo L Casal
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lisa M Anderson
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Seyed M R Rahavi
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Gregor S D Reid
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Danica Stanimirovic
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Abedelnasser Abulrob
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jodi L McBride
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA; Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Blair R Leavitt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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4
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Li C, Lin Y, Chen Y, Song X, Zheng X, Li J, He J, Chen X, Huang C, Wang W, Wu J, Wu J, Gao J, Tu Z, Li XJ, Yan S, Li S. A Specific Mini-Intrabody Mediates Lysosome Degradation of Mutant Huntingtin. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2301120. [PMID: 37688357 PMCID: PMC10625127 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202301120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Accumulation of misfolded proteins leads to many neurodegenerative diseases that can be treated by lowering or removing mutant proteins. Huntington's disease (HD) is characterized by the intracellular accumulation of mutant huntingtin (mHTT) that can be soluble and aggregated in the central nervous system and causes neuronal damage and death. Here, an intracellular antibody (intrabody) fragment is generated that can specifically bind mHTT and link to the lysosome for degradation. It is found that delivery of this peptide by either brain injection or intravenous administration can efficiently clear the soluble and aggregated mHTT by activating the lysosomal degradation pathway, resulting in amelioration of gliosis and dyskinesia in HD knock-in (KI-140Q) mice. These findings suggest that the small intrabody peptide linked to lysosomes can effectively lower mutant proteins and provide a new approach for treating neurodegenerative diseases that are caused by the accumulation of mutant proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caijuan Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Yingqi Lin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Yizhi Chen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Xichen Song
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Xiao Zheng
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Jiawei Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Jun He
- Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Xiusheng Chen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Chunhui Huang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Jianhao Wu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Jiaxi Wu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Jiale Gao
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Zhuchi Tu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Xiao-Jiang Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Sen Yan
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Shihua Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
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5
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Wang Y, Shao W. Innate Immune Response to Viral Vectors in Gene Therapy. Viruses 2023; 15:1801. [PMID: 37766208 PMCID: PMC10536768 DOI: 10.3390/v15091801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Viral vectors play a pivotal role in the field of gene therapy, with several related drugs having already gained clinical approval from the EMA and FDA. However, numerous viral gene therapy vectors are currently undergoing pre-clinical research or participating in clinical trials. Despite advancements, the innate response remains a significant barrier impeding the clinical development of viral gene therapy. The innate immune response to viral gene therapy vectors and transgenes is still an important reason hindering its clinical development. Extensive studies have demonstrated that different DNA and RNA sensors can detect adenoviruses, adeno-associated viruses, and lentiviruses, thereby activating various innate immune pathways such as Toll-like receptor (TLR), cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS-STING), and retinoic acid-inducible gene I-mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (RLR-MAVS). This review focuses on elucidating the mechanisms underlying the innate immune response induced by three widely utilized viral vectors: adenovirus, adeno-associated virus, and lentivirus, as well as the strategies employed to circumvent innate immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wenwei Shao
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Medical College, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China;
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6
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Aly AEE, Caron NS, Black HF, Schmidt ME, Anderson C, Ko S, Baddeley HJE, Anderson L, Casal LL, Rahavi RSM, Martin DDO, Hayden MR. Delivery of mutant huntingtin-lowering antisense oligonucleotides to the brain by intranasally administered apolipoprotein A-I nanodisks. J Control Release 2023; 360:913-927. [PMID: 37468110 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2023.07.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Lowering mutant huntingtin (mHTT) in the central nervous system (CNS) using antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) is a promising approach currently being evaluated in clinical trials for Huntington disease (HD). However, the therapeutic potential of ASOs in HD patients is limited by their inability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In non-human primates, intrathecal infusion of ASOs results in limited brain distribution, with higher ASO concentrations in superficial regions and lower concentrations in deeper regions, such as the basal ganglia. To address the need for improved delivery of ASOs to the brain, we are evaluating the therapeutic potential of apolipoprotein A-I nanodisks (apoA-I NDs) as novel delivery vehicles for mHTT-lowering ASOs to the CNS after intranasal administration. Here, we have demonstrated the ability of apoA-I nanodisks to bypass the BBB after intranasal delivery in the BACHD model of HD. Following intranasal administration of apoA-I NDs, apoA-I protein levels were elevated along the rostral-caudal brain axis, with highest levels in the most rostral brain regions including the olfactory bulb and frontal cortex. Double-label immunohistochemistry indicates that both the apoA-I and ASO deposit in neurons. Most importantly, a single intranasal dose of apoA-I ASO-NDs significantly reduces mHTT levels in the brain regions most affected in HD, namely the cortex and striatum. This approach represents a novel non-invasive means for improving delivery and brain distribution of oligonucleotide therapies and enhancing likelihood of efficacy. Improved ASO delivery to the brain has widespread application for treatment of many other CNS disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amirah E-E Aly
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Nicholas S Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Hailey Findlay Black
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Mandi E Schmidt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Christine Anderson
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Seunghyun Ko
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Helen J E Baddeley
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Lisa Anderson
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Lorenzo L Casal
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Reza S M Rahavi
- Michael Cuccione Childhood Cancer Research Program, British Columbia Children's a Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Dale D O Martin
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada.
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7
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Zancanella V, Vallès A, Liefhebber JM, Paerels L, Tornero CV, Wattimury H, van der Zon T, van Rooijen K, Golinska M, Grevelink T, Ehlert E, Pieterman EJ, Keijzer N, Princen HMG, Stokman G, Liu YP. Proof-of-concept study for liver-directed miQURE technology in a dyslipidemic mouse model. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2023; 32:454-467. [PMID: 37168797 PMCID: PMC10165407 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2023.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
A gene-silencing platform (miQURE) has been developed and successfully used to deliver therapeutic microRNA (miRNA) to the brain, reducing levels of neurodegenerative disease-causing proteins/RNAs via RNA interference and improving the disease phenotype in animal models. This study evaluates the use of miQURE technology to deliver therapeutic miRNA for liver-specific indications. Angiopoietin-like 3 (ANGPTL3) was selected as the target mRNA because it is produced in the liver and because loss-of-function ANGPTL3 mutations and/or pharmacological inhibition of ANGPTL3 protein lowers lipid levels and reduces cardiovascular risk. Overall, 14 candidate miRNA constructs were tested in vitro, the most potent of which (miAngE) was further evaluated in mice. rAAV5-miAngE led to dose-dependent (≤-77%) decreases in Angptl3 mRNA in WT mice with ≤-90% reductions in plasma ANGPTL3 protein. In dyslipidemic APOE∗3-Leiden.CETP mice, AAV5-miAngE significantly reduced cholesterol and triglyceride levels vs. vehicle and scrambled (miSCR) controls when administrated alone, with greater reductions when co-administered with lipid-lowering therapy (atorvastatin). A significant decrease in total atherosclerotic lesion area (-58% vs. miSCR) was observed in AAV5-miAngE-treated dyslipidemic mice, which corresponded with the maintenance of a non-diseased plaque phenotype and reduced lesion severity. These results support the development of this technology for liver-directed indications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Zancanella
- uniQure biopharma B.V., Department of Research and Development, 1105 BP, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Astrid Vallès
- uniQure biopharma B.V., Department of Research and Development, 1105 BP, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jolanda M.P. Liefhebber
- uniQure biopharma B.V., Department of Research and Development, 1105 BP, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Lieke Paerels
- uniQure biopharma B.V., Department of Research and Development, 1105 BP, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Carlos Vendrell Tornero
- uniQure biopharma B.V., Department of Research and Development, 1105 BP, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hendrina Wattimury
- uniQure biopharma B.V., Department of Research and Development, 1105 BP, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tom van der Zon
- uniQure biopharma B.V., Department of Research and Development, 1105 BP, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kristel van Rooijen
- uniQure biopharma B.V., Department of Research and Development, 1105 BP, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Monika Golinska
- uniQure biopharma B.V., Department of Research and Development, 1105 BP, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tamar Grevelink
- uniQure biopharma B.V., Department of Research and Development, 1105 BP, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Erich Ehlert
- uniQure biopharma B.V., Department of Research and Development, 1105 BP, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Nanda Keijzer
- TNO Metabolic Health Research, Sylviusweg 71 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Geurt Stokman
- TNO Metabolic Health Research, Sylviusweg 71 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ying Poi Liu
- uniQure biopharma B.V., Department of Research and Development, 1105 BP, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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8
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Thomson SB, Stam A, Brouwers C, Fodale V, Bresciani A, Vermeulen M, Mostafavi S, Petkau TL, Hill A, Yung A, Russell-Schulz B, Kozlowski P, MacKay A, Ma D, Beg MF, Evers MM, Vallès A, Leavitt BR. AAV5-miHTT-mediated huntingtin lowering improves brain health in a Huntington's disease mouse model. Brain 2023; 146:2298-2315. [PMID: 36508327 PMCID: PMC10232253 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntingtin (HTT)-lowering therapies show great promise in treating Huntington's disease. We have developed a microRNA targeting human HTT that is delivered in an adeno-associated serotype 5 viral vector (AAV5-miHTT), and here use animal behaviour, MRI, non-invasive proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy and striatal RNA sequencing as outcome measures in preclinical mouse studies of AAV5-miHTT. The effects of AAV5-miHTT treatment were evaluated in homozygous Q175FDN mice, a mouse model of Huntington's disease with severe neuropathological and behavioural phenotypes. Homozygous mice were used instead of the more commonly used heterozygous strain, which exhibit milder phenotypes. Three-month-old homozygous Q175FDN mice, which had developed acute phenotypes by the time of treatment, were injected bilaterally into the striatum with either formulation buffer (phosphate-buffered saline + 5% sucrose), low dose (5.2 × 109 genome copies/mouse) or high dose (1.3 × 1011 genome copies/mouse) AAV5-miHTT. Wild-type mice injected with formulation buffer served as controls. Behavioural assessments of cognition, T1-weighted structural MRI and striatal proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy were performed 3 months after injection, and shortly afterwards the animals were sacrificed to collect brain tissue for protein and RNA analysis. Motor coordination was assessed at 1-month intervals beginning at 2 months of age until sacrifice. Dose-dependent changes in AAV5 vector DNA level, miHTT expression and mutant HTT were observed in striatum and cortex of AAV5-miHTT-treated Huntington's disease model mice. This pattern of microRNA expression and mutant HTT lowering rescued weight loss in homozygous Q175FDN mice but did not affect motor or cognitive phenotypes. MRI volumetric analysis detected atrophy in four brain regions in homozygous Q175FDN mice, and treatment with high dose AAV5-miHTT rescued this effect in the hippocampus. Like previous magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies in Huntington's disease patients, decreased total N-acetyl aspartate and increased myo-inositol levels were found in the striatum of homozygous Q175FDN mice. These neurochemical findings were partially reversed with AAV5-miHTT treatment. Striatal transcriptional analysis using RNA sequencing revealed mutant HTT-induced changes that were partially reversed by HTT lowering with AAV5-miHTT. Striatal proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy analysis suggests a restoration of neuronal function, and striatal RNA sequencing analysis shows a reversal of transcriptional dysregulation following AAV5-miHTT in a homozygous Huntington's disease mouse model with severe pathology. The results of this study support the use of magnetic resonance spectroscopy in HTT-lowering clinical trials and strengthen the therapeutic potential of AAV5-miHTT in reversing severe striatal dysfunction in Huntington's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah B Thomson
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V5Z4H4, Canada
| | - Anouk Stam
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., 1105BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Cynthia Brouwers
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., 1105BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Valentina Fodale
- Department of Translational Biology, IRBM S.p.A., Pomezia 00071, Italy
| | - Alberto Bresciani
- Department of Translational Biology, IRBM S.p.A., Pomezia 00071, Italy
| | - Michael Vermeulen
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V5Z4H4, Canada
| | - Sara Mostafavi
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V5Z4H4, Canada
| | - Terri L Petkau
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V5Z4H4, Canada
| | - Austin Hill
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V5Z4H4, Canada
| | - Andrew Yung
- UBC MRI Research Centre, Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T2B5, Canada
| | - Bretta Russell-Schulz
- UBC MRI Research Centre, Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T2B5, Canada
| | - Piotr Kozlowski
- UBC MRI Research Centre, Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T2B5, Canada
| | - Alex MacKay
- UBC MRI Research Centre, Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T2B5, Canada
| | - Da Ma
- Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
| | - Mirza Faisal Beg
- School of Engineering Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A0A7, Canada
| | - Melvin M Evers
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., 1105BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Astrid Vallès
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., 1105BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Blair R Leavitt
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine & Therapeutics, University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V5Z4H4, Canada
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9
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Cas9-mediated replacement of expanded CAG repeats in a pig model of Huntington's disease. Nat Biomed Eng 2023; 7:629-646. [PMID: 36797418 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-023-01007-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
The monogenic nature of Huntington's disease (HD) and other neurodegenerative diseases caused by the expansion of glutamine-encoding CAG repeats makes them particularly amenable to gene therapy. Here we show the feasibility of replacing expanded CAG repeats in the mutant HTT allele with a normal CAG repeat in genetically engineered pigs mimicking the selective neurodegeneration seen in patients with HD. A single intracranial or intravenous injection of adeno-associated virus encoding for Cas9, a single-guide RNA targeting the HTT gene, and donor DNA containing the normal CAG repeat led to the depletion of mutant HTT in the animals and to substantial reductions in the dysregulated expression and neurotoxicity of mutant HTT and in neurological symptoms. Our findings support the further translational development of virally delivered Cas9-based gene therapies for the treatment of genetic neurodegenerative diseases.
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10
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Saher O, Zaghloul EM, Umek T, Hagey DW, Mozafari N, Danielsen MB, Gouda AS, Lundin KE, Jørgensen PT, Wengel J, Smith CIE, Zain R. Chemical Modifications and Design Influence the Potency of Huntingtin Anti-Gene Oligonucleotides. Nucleic Acid Ther 2023; 33:117-131. [PMID: 36735581 PMCID: PMC10066784 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2022.0046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease is a neurodegenerative, trinucleotide repeat (TNR) disorder affecting both males and females. It is caused by an abnormal increase in the length of CAG•CTG TNR in exon 1 of the Huntingtin gene (HTT). The resultant, mutant HTT mRNA and protein cause neuronal toxicity, suggesting that reduction of their levels would constitute a promising therapeutic approach. We previously reported a novel strategy in which chemically modified oligonucleotides (ONs) directly target chromosomal DNA. These anti-gene ONs were able to downregulate both HTT mRNA and protein. In this study, various locked nucleic acid (LNA)/DNA mixmer anti-gene ONs were tested to investigate the effects of varying ON length, LNA content, and fatty acid modification on HTT expression. Altering the length did not significantly influence the ON potency, while LNA content was critical for activity. Utilization of palmitoyl-modified LNA monomers enhanced the ON activity relatively to the corresponding nonmodified LNA under serum starvation conditions. Furthermore, the number of palmitoylated LNA monomers and their positioning greatly affected ON potency. In addition, we performed RNA sequencing analysis, which showed that the anti-gene ONs affect the "immune system process, mRNA processing, and neurogenesis." Furthermore, we observed that for repeat containing genes, there is a higher tendency for antisense off-targeting. Taken together, our findings provide an optimized design of anti-gene ONs that could potentially be developed as DNA-targeting therapeutics for this class of TNR-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osama Saher
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Translational Research Center Karolinska (TRACK), Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-14186 Huddinge, Sweden.,Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Eman M Zaghloul
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Translational Research Center Karolinska (TRACK), Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-14186 Huddinge, Sweden.,Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Tea Umek
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Translational Research Center Karolinska (TRACK), Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-14186 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Daniel W Hagey
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Translational Research Center Karolinska (TRACK), Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-14186 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Negin Mozafari
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Translational Research Center Karolinska (TRACK), Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-14186 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Mathias B Danielsen
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Biomolecular Nanoscale Engineering Center, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Alaa S Gouda
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Biomolecular Nanoscale Engineering Center, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.,Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Benha University, Benha, Egypt
| | - Karin E Lundin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Translational Research Center Karolinska (TRACK), Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-14186 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Per T Jørgensen
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Biomolecular Nanoscale Engineering Center, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Jesper Wengel
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Biomolecular Nanoscale Engineering Center, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - C I Edvard Smith
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Translational Research Center Karolinska (TRACK), Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-14186 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Rula Zain
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Translational Research Center Karolinska (TRACK), Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-14186 Huddinge, Sweden.,Centre for Rare Diseases, Department of Clinical Genetics, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-17176 Stockholm, Sweden
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11
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Samad AFA, Kamaroddin MF. Innovative approaches in transforming microRNAs into therapeutic tools. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2023; 14:e1768. [PMID: 36437633 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
MicroRNA (miRNA) is regarded as a prominent genetic regulator, as it can fine-tune an entire biological pathway by targeting multiple target genes. This characteristic makes miRNAs promising therapeutic tools to reinstate cell functions that are disrupted as a consequence of diseases. Currently, miRNA replacement by miRNA mimics and miRNA inhibition by anti-miRNA oligonucleotides are the main approaches to utilizing miRNA molecules for therapeutic purposes. Nevertheless, miRNA-based therapeutics are hampered by major issues such as off-target effects, immunogenicity, and uncertain delivery platforms. Over the past few decades, several innovative approaches have been established to minimize off-target effects, reduce immunostimulation, and provide efficient transfer to the target cells in which these molecules exert their function. Recent achievements have led to the testing of miRNA-based drugs in clinical trials, and these molecules may become next-generation therapeutics for medical intervention. Despite the achievement of exciting milestones, the dosage of miRNA administration remains unclear, and ways to address this issue are proposed. Elucidating the current status of the main factors of therapeutic miRNA would allow further developments and innovations to achieve safe therapeutic tools. This article is categorized under: RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease Regulatory RNAs/RNAi/Riboswitches > RNAi: Mechanisms of Action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdul Fatah A Samad
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Farizal Kamaroddin
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
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12
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van der Bent ML, Evers MM, Vallès A. Emerging Therapies for Huntington's Disease - Focus on N-Terminal Huntingtin and Huntingtin Exon 1. Biologics 2022; 16:141-160. [PMID: 36213816 PMCID: PMC9532260 DOI: 10.2147/btt.s270657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease is a devastating heritable neurodegenerative disorder that is caused by the presence of a trinucleotide CAG repeat expansion in the Huntingtin gene, leading to a polyglutamine tract in the protein. Various mechanisms lead to the production of N-terminal Huntingtin protein fragments, which are reportedly more toxic than the full-length protein. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the production and toxicity of N-terminal Huntingtin protein fragments. Further, we expand on various therapeutic strategies targeting N-terminal Huntingtin on the protein, RNA and DNA level. Finally, we compare the therapeutic approaches that are clinically most advanced, including those that do not target N-terminal Huntingtin, discussing differences in mode of action and translational applicability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Melvin M Evers
- uniQure biopharma B.V., Department of Research and Development, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Astrid Vallès
- uniQure biopharma B.V., Department of Research and Development, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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13
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Morais RDVS, Sogorb-González M, Bar C, Timmer NC, Van der Bent ML, Wartel M, Vallès A. Functional Intercellular Transmission of miHTT via Extracellular Vesicles: An In Vitro Proof-of-Mechanism Study. Cells 2022; 11:2748. [PMID: 36078156 PMCID: PMC9455173 DOI: 10.3390/cells11172748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by GAG expansion in exon 1 of the huntingtin (HTT) gene. AAV5-miHTT is an adeno-associated virus serotype 5-based vector expressing an engineered HTT-targeting microRNA (miHTT). Preclinical studies demonstrate the brain-wide spread of AAV5-miHTT following a single intrastriatal injection, which is partly mediated by neuronal transport. miHTT has been previously associated with extracellular vesicles (EVs), but whether EVs mediate the intercellular transmission of miHTT remains unknown. A contactless culture system was used to evaluate the transport of miHTT, either from a donor cell line overexpressing miHTT or AAV5-miHTT transduced neurons. Transfer of miHTT to recipient (HEK-293T, HeLa, and HD patient-derived neurons) cells was observed, which significantly reduced HTT mRNA levels. miHTT was present in EV-enriched fractions isolated from culture media. Immunocytochemical and in situ hybridization experiments showed that the signal for miHTT and EV markers co-localized, confirming the transport of miHTT within EVs. In summary, we provide evidence that an engineered miRNA-miHTT-is loaded into EVs, transported across extracellular space, and taken up by neighboring cells, and importantly, that miHTT is active in recipient cells downregulating HTT expression. This represents an additional mechanism contributing to the widespread biodistribution of AAV5-miHTT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto D. V. S. Morais
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., 1105 BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marina Sogorb-González
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Citlali Bar
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., 1105 BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nikki C. Timmer
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., 1105 BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M. Leontien Van der Bent
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., 1105 BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Morgane Wartel
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., 1105 BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Astrid Vallès
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., 1105 BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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14
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Ferguson MW, Kennedy CJ, Palpagama TH, Waldvogel HJ, Faull RLM, Kwakowsky A. Current and Possible Future Therapeutic Options for Huntington’s Disease. J Cent Nerv Syst Dis 2022; 14:11795735221092517. [PMID: 35615642 PMCID: PMC9125092 DOI: 10.1177/11795735221092517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by an excessive number of CAG trinucleotide repeats within the huntingtin gene ( HTT). HD patients can present with a variety of symptoms including chorea, behavioural and psychiatric abnormalities and cognitive decline. Each patient has a unique combination of symptoms, and although these can be managed using a range of medications and non-drug treatments there is currently no cure for the disease. Current therapies prescribed for HD can be categorized by the symptom they treat. These categories include chorea medication, antipsychotic medication, antidepressants, mood stabilizing medication as well as non-drug therapies. Fortunately, there are also many new HD therapeutics currently undergoing clinical trials that target the disease at its origin; lowering the levels of mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT). Currently, much attention is being directed to antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapies, which bind to pre-RNA or mRNA and can alter protein expression via RNA degradation, blocking translation or splice modulation. Other potential therapies in clinical development include RNA interference (RNAi) therapies, RNA targeting small molecule therapies, stem cell therapies, antibody therapies, non-RNA targeting small molecule therapies and neuroinflammation targeted therapies. Potential therapies in pre-clinical development include Zinc-Finger Protein (ZFP) therapies, transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN) therapies and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated system (Cas) therapies. This comprehensive review aims to discuss the efficacy of current HD treatments and explore the clinical trial progress of emerging potential HD therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mackenzie W. Ferguson
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Connor J. Kennedy
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Thulani H. Palpagama
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Henry J. Waldvogel
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Richard L. M. Faull
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Andrea Kwakowsky
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Galway Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
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15
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Environmental stimulation in Huntington disease patients and animal models. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 171:105725. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
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16
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Bertoglio D, Bard J, Hessmann M, Liu L, Gärtner A, De Lombaerde S, Huscher B, Zajicek F, Miranda A, Peters F, Herrmann F, Schaertl S, Vasilkovska T, Brown CJ, Johnson PD, Prime ME, Mills MR, Van der Linden A, Mrzljak L, Khetarpal V, Wang Y, Marchionini DM, Skinbjerg M, Verhaeghe J, Dominguez C, Staelens S, Munoz-Sanjuan I. Development of a ligand for in vivo imaging of mutant huntingtin in Huntington's disease. Sci Transl Med 2022; 14:eabm3682. [PMID: 35108063 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abm3682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG trinucleotide expansion in the huntingtin (HTT) gene that encodes the pathologic mutant HTT (mHTT) protein with an expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) tract. Whereas several therapeutic programs targeting mHTT expression have advanced to clinical evaluation, methods to visualize mHTT protein species in the living brain are lacking. Here, we demonstrate the development and characterization of a positron emission tomography (PET) imaging radioligand with high affinity and selectivity for mHTT aggregates. This small molecule radiolabeled with 11C ([11C]CHDI-180R) allowed noninvasive monitoring of mHTT pathology in the brain and could track region- and time-dependent suppression of mHTT in response to therapeutic interventions targeting mHTT expression in a rodent model. We further showed that in these animals, therapeutic agents that lowered mHTT in the striatum had a functional restorative effect that could be measured by preservation of striatal imaging markers, enabling a translational path to assess the functional effect of mHTT lowering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Bertoglio
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp (MICA), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk 2610, Belgium
| | - Jonathan Bard
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Los Angeles, CA 90045, USA
| | | | - Longbin Liu
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Los Angeles, CA 90045, USA
| | | | - Stef De Lombaerde
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp (MICA), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk 2610, Belgium.,Department of Nuclear Medicine, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem 2650, Belgium
| | | | - Franziska Zajicek
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp (MICA), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk 2610, Belgium
| | - Alan Miranda
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp (MICA), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk 2610, Belgium
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Yuchuan Wang
- CHDI Management/CHDI Foundation, Los Angeles, CA 90045, USA
| | | | | | - Jeroen Verhaeghe
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp (MICA), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk 2610, Belgium
| | | | - Steven Staelens
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp (MICA), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk 2610, Belgium
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17
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Nobre RJ, Lobo DD, Henriques C, Duarte SP, Lopes SM, Silva AC, Lopes MM, Mariet F, Schwarz LK, Baatje MS, Ferreira V, Vallès A, Pereira de Almeida L, Evers MM, Toonen LJA. MiRNA-Mediated Knockdown of ATXN3 Alleviates Molecular Disease Hallmarks in a Mouse Model for Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3. Nucleic Acid Ther 2021; 32:194-205. [PMID: 34878314 PMCID: PMC9221165 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2021.0020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the expansion of a CAG repeat in the ATXN3 gene. This mutation leads to a toxic gain of function of the ataxin-3 protein, resulting in neuronal dysfunction and atrophy of specific brain regions over time. As ataxin-3 is a dispensable protein in rodents, ataxin-3 knockdown by gene therapy may be a powerful approach for the treatment of SCA3. In this study, we tested the feasibility of an adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector carrying a previously described artificial microRNA against ATXN3 in a striatal mouse model of SCA3. Striatal injection of the AAV resulted in good distribution throughout the striatum, with strong dose-dependent ataxin-3 knockdown. The hallmark intracellular ataxin-3 inclusions were almost completely alleviated by the microRNA-induced ATXN3 knockdown. In addition, the striatal lesion of dopamine- and cAMP-regulated neuronal phosphoprotein (DARPP-32) in the SCA3 mice was rescued by ATXN3 knockdown, indicating functional rescue of neuronal signaling and health upon AAV treatment. Together, these data suggest that microRNA-induced ataxin-3 knockdown is a promising therapeutic strategy in the treatment of SCA3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Jorge Nobre
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Molecular Therapy of Brain Disorders Group, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,ViraVector-Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility and University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (III), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Diana D Lobo
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Molecular Therapy of Brain Disorders Group, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (III), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Carina Henriques
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Molecular Therapy of Brain Disorders Group, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,ViraVector-Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility and University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Sonia P Duarte
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Molecular Therapy of Brain Disorders Group, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (III), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Sara M Lopes
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Molecular Therapy of Brain Disorders Group, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (III), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ana C Silva
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Molecular Therapy of Brain Disorders Group, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (III), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Miguel M Lopes
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Molecular Therapy of Brain Disorders Group, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (III), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Fanny Mariet
- uniQure Biopharma b.v., Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - M S Baatje
- uniQure Biopharma b.v., Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Luis Pereira de Almeida
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), Molecular Therapy of Brain Disorders Group, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Vectors, Gene and Cell Therapy Group, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,ViraVector-Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility and University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
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18
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Brunet de Courssou JB, Durr A, Adams D, Corvol JC, Mariani LL. Antisense therapies in neurological diseases. Brain 2021; 145:816-831. [PMID: 35286370 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in targeted regulation of gene expression allowed new therapeutic approaches for monogenic neurological diseases. Molecular diagnosis has paved the way to personalized medicine targeting the pathogenic roots: DNA or its RNA transcript. These antisense therapies rely on modified nucleotides sequences (single-strand DNA or RNA, both belonging to the antisense oligonucleotides family, or double-strand interfering RNA) to act specifically on pathogenic target nucleic acids, thanks to complementary base pairing. Depending on the type of molecule, chemical modifications and target, base pairing will lead alternatively to splicing modifications of primary transcript RNA or transient messenger RNA degradation or non-translation. The key to success for neurodegenerative diseases also depends on the ability to reach target cells. The most advanced antisense therapies under development in neurological disorders are presented here, at the clinical stage of development, either at phase 3 or market authorization stage, such as in spinal amyotrophy, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, transthyretin-related hereditary amyloidosis, porphyria and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; or in earlier clinical phase 1 B, for Huntington disease, synucleinopathies and tauopathies. We also discuss antisense therapies at the preclinical stage, such as in some tauopathies, spinocerebellar ataxias or other rare neurological disorders. Each subtype of antisense therapy, antisense oligonucleotides or interfering RNA, has proved target engagement or even clinical efficacy in patients; undisputable recent advances for severe and previously untreatable neurological disorders. Antisense therapies show great promise, but many unknowns remain. Expanding the initial successes achieved in orphan or rare diseases to other disorders will be the next challenge, as shown by the recent failure in Huntington disease or due to long-term preclinical toxicity in multiple system atrophy and cystic fibrosis. This will be critical in the perspective of new planned applications to premanifest mutation carriers, or other non-genetic degenerative disorders such as multiple system atrophy or Parkinson disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Baptiste Brunet de Courssou
- Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Department of Neurology, CIC Neurosciences, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | - Alexandra Durr
- Sorbonne University, Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - David Adams
- Department of Neurology, Bicêtre hospital, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Centre de Référence National des Neuropathies Périphériques Rares, Paris Saclay University, INSERM U 1195, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Corvol
- Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Department of Neurology, CIC Neurosciences, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Sorbonne University, Paris, France.,Sorbonne University, Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Louise-Laure Mariani
- Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Department of Neurology, CIC Neurosciences, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Sorbonne University, Paris, France.,Sorbonne University, Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm, CNRS, Paris, France
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19
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Jarosińska OD, Rüdiger SGD. Molecular Strategies to Target Protein Aggregation in Huntington's Disease. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:769184. [PMID: 34869596 PMCID: PMC8636123 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.769184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the aggregation of the mutant huntingtin (mHTT) protein in nerve cells. mHTT self-aggregates to form soluble oligomers and insoluble fibrils, which interfere in a number of key cellular functions. This leads to cell quiescence and ultimately cell death. There are currently still no treatments available for HD, but approaches targeting the HTT levels offer systematic, mechanism-driven routes towards curing HD and other neurodegenerative diseases. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge of the mRNA targeting approaches such as antisense oligonucleotides and RNAi system; and the novel methods targeting mHTT and aggregates for degradation via the ubiquitin proteasome or the autophagy-lysosomal systems. These methods include the proteolysis-targeting chimera, Trim-Away, autophagosome-tethering compound, autophagy-targeting chimera, lysosome-targeting chimera and approach targeting mHTT for chaperone-mediated autophagy. These molecular strategies provide a knowledge-based approach to target HD and other neurodegenerative diseases at the origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga D. Jarosińska
- Cellular Protein Chemistry, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Science for Life, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Stefan G. D. Rüdiger
- Cellular Protein Chemistry, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Science for Life, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
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20
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Martinez B, Peplow PV. Altered microRNA expression in animal models of Huntington's disease and potential therapeutic strategies. Neural Regen Res 2021; 16:2159-2169. [PMID: 33818488 PMCID: PMC8354140 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.310673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A review of recent animal models of Huntington's disease showed many microRNAs had altered expression levels in the striatum and cerebral cortex, and which were mostly downregulated. Among the altered microRNAs were miR-9/9*, miR-29b, miR-124a, miR-132, miR-128, miR-139, miR-122, miR-138, miR-23b, miR-135b, miR-181 (all downregulated) and miR-448 (upregulated), and similar changes had been previously found in Huntington's disease patients. In the animal cell studies, the altered microRNAs included miR-9, miR-9*, miR-135b, miR-222 (all downregulated) and miR-214 (upregulated). In the animal models, overexpression of miR-155 and miR-196a caused a decrease in mutant huntingtin mRNA and protein level, lowered the mutant huntingtin aggregates in striatum and cortex, and improved performance in behavioral tests. Improved performance in behavioral tests also occurred with overexpression of miR-132 and miR-124. In the animal cell models, overexpression of miR-22 increased the viability of rat primary cortical and striatal neurons infected with mutant huntingtin and decreased huntingtin -enriched foci of ≥ 2 µm. Also, overexpression of miR-22 enhanced the survival of rat primary striatal neurons treated with 3-nitropropionic acid. Exogenous expression of miR-214, miR-146a, miR-150, and miR-125b decreased endogenous expression of huntingtin mRNA and protein in HdhQ111/HdhQ111 cells. Further studies with animal models of Huntington's disease are warranted to validate these findings and identify specific microRNAs whose overexpression inhibits the production of mutant huntingtin protein and other harmful processes and may provide a more effective means of treating Huntington's disease in patients and slowing its progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridget Martinez
- Physical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, Chemistry Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
- Department of Medicine, St. Georges University School of Medicine, Grenada
| | - Philip V. Peplow
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Correspondence to: Philip V. Peplow, .
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21
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Sogorb-Gonzalez M, Vendrell-Tornero C, Snapper J, Stam A, Keskin S, Miniarikova J, Spronck EA, de Haan M, Nieuwland R, Konstantinova P, van Deventer SJ, Evers MM, Vallès A. Secreted therapeutics: monitoring durability of microRNA-based gene therapies in the central nervous system. Brain Commun 2021; 3:fcab054. [PMID: 34704020 PMCID: PMC8093922 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcab054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The preclinical development of microRNA-based gene therapies for inherited neurodegenerative diseases is accompanied by translational challenges. Due to the inaccessibility of the brain to periodically evaluate therapy effects, accessible and reliable biomarkers indicative of dosing, durability and therapeutic efficacy in the central nervous system are very much needed. This is particularly important for viral vector-based gene therapies, in which a one-time administration results in long-term expression of active therapeutic molecules in the brain. Recently, extracellular vesicles have been identified as carriers of RNA species, including microRNAs, and proteins in all biological fluids, whilst becoming potential sources of biomarkers for diagnosis. In this study, we investigated the secretion and potential use of circulating miRNAs associated with extracellular vesicles as suitable sources to monitor the expression and durability of gene therapies in the brain. Neuronal cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells were treated with adeno-associated viral vector serotype 5 carrying an engineered microRNA targeting huntingtin or ataxin3 gene sequences, the diseases-causing genes of Huntington disease and spinocerebellar ataxia type 3, respectively. After treatment, the secretion of mature engineered microRNA molecules was confirmed, with extracellular microRNA levels correlating with viral dose and cellular microRNA expression in neurons. We further investigated the detection of engineered microRNAs over time in the CSF of non-human primates after a single intrastriatal injection of adeno-associated viral vector serotype 5 carrying a huntingtin-targeting engineered microRNA. Quantifiable engineered microRNA levels enriched in extracellular vesicles were detected in the CSF up to two years after brain infusion. Altogether, these results confirm the long-term expression of adeno-associated viral vector serotype 5-delivered microRNAs and support the use of extracellular vesicle-associated microRNAs as novel translational pharmacokinetic markers in ongoing clinical trials of gene therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Sogorb-Gonzalez
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure Biopharma N.V., Amsterdam, 1105 BP, The Netherlands.,Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2333 ZA, The Netherlands
| | - Carlos Vendrell-Tornero
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure Biopharma N.V., Amsterdam, 1105 BP, The Netherlands
| | - Jolanda Snapper
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure Biopharma N.V., Amsterdam, 1105 BP, The Netherlands
| | - Anouk Stam
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure Biopharma N.V., Amsterdam, 1105 BP, The Netherlands
| | - Sonay Keskin
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure Biopharma N.V., Amsterdam, 1105 BP, The Netherlands
| | - Jana Miniarikova
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure Biopharma N.V., Amsterdam, 1105 BP, The Netherlands.,Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2333 ZA, The Netherlands
| | - Elisabeth A Spronck
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure Biopharma N.V., Amsterdam, 1105 BP, The Netherlands
| | - Martin de Haan
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure Biopharma N.V., Amsterdam, 1105 BP, The Netherlands
| | - Rienk Nieuwland
- Laboratory of Experimental Clinical Chemistry, and Vesicles Observation Center, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, The Netherlands
| | - Pavlina Konstantinova
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure Biopharma N.V., Amsterdam, 1105 BP, The Netherlands
| | - Sander J van Deventer
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure Biopharma N.V., Amsterdam, 1105 BP, The Netherlands.,Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2333 ZA, The Netherlands
| | - Melvin M Evers
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure Biopharma N.V., Amsterdam, 1105 BP, The Netherlands
| | - Astrid Vallès
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure Biopharma N.V., Amsterdam, 1105 BP, The Netherlands
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22
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Dong X, Cong S. MicroRNAs in Huntington's Disease: Diagnostic Biomarkers or Therapeutic Agents? Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:705348. [PMID: 34421543 PMCID: PMC8377808 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.705348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
MicroRNA (miRNA) is a non-coding single-stranded small molecule of approximately 21 nucleotides. It degrades or inhibits the translation of RNA by targeting the 3′-UTR. The miRNA plays an important role in the growth, development, differentiation, and functional execution of the nervous system. Dysregulated miRNA expression has been associated with several pathological processes of neurodegenerative disorders, including Huntington’s disease (HD). Recent studies have suggested promising roles of miRNAs as biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for HD. Here, we review the emerging role of dysregulated miRNAs in HD and describe general biology of miRNAs, their pathophysiological implications, and their potential roles as biomarkers and therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Dong
- Department of Neurology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Shuyan Cong
- Department of Neurology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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23
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Pietersz KL, Plessis FD, Pouw SM, Liefhebber JM, van Deventer SJ, Martens GJM, Konstantinova PS, Blits B. PhP.B Enhanced Adeno-Associated Virus Mediated-Expression Following Systemic Delivery or Direct Brain Administration. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:679483. [PMID: 34414171 PMCID: PMC8370029 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.679483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Of the adeno-associated viruses (AAVs), AAV9 is known for its capability to cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and can, therefore, be used as a noninvasive method to target the central nervous system. Furthermore, the addition of the peptide PhP.B to AAV9 increases its transduction across the BBB by 40-fold. Another neurotropic serotype, AAV5, has been shown as a gene therapeutic delivery vehicle to ameliorate several neurodegenerative diseases in preclinical models, but its administration requires invasive surgery. In this study, AAV9-PhP.B and AAV5-PhP.B were designed and produced in an insect cell–based system. To AAV9, the PhP.B peptide TLAVPFK was added, whereas in AAV5-PhP.B (AQTLAVPFKAQAQ), with AQ-AQAQ sequences used to swap with the corresponding sequence of AAV5. The addition of PhP.B to AAV5 did not affect its capacity to cross the mouse BBB, while increased transduction of liver tissue was observed. Then, intravenous (IV) and intrastriatal (IStr) delivery of AAV9-PhP.B and AAV5 were compared. For AAV9-PhP.B, similar transduction and expression levels were achieved in the striatum and cortex, irrespective of the delivery method used. IStr administration of AAV5 resulted in significantly higher amounts of vector DNA and therapeutic miRNA in the target regions such as striatum and cortex when compared with an IV administration of AAV9-PhP.B. These results illustrate the challenge in developing a vector that can be delivered noninvasively while achieving a transduction level similar to that of direct administration of AAV5. Thus, for therapeutic miRNA delivery with high local expression requirements, intraparenchymal delivery of AAV5 is preferred, whereas a humanized AAV9-PhP.B may be useful when widespread brain (and peripheral) transduction is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly L Pietersz
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Molecular Animal Physiology, Faculty of Science, Centre for Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Francois Du Plessis
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Stephan M Pouw
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jolanda M Liefhebber
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Sander J van Deventer
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Gerard J M Martens
- Department of Molecular Animal Physiology, Faculty of Science, Centre for Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | | | - Bas Blits
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure Biopharma B.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands
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24
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Tung CW, Huang PY, Chan SC, Cheng PH, Yang SH. The regulatory roles of microRNAs toward pathogenesis and treatments in Huntington's disease. J Biomed Sci 2021; 28:59. [PMID: 34412645 PMCID: PMC8375176 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-021-00755-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is one of neurodegenerative diseases, and is defined as a monogenetic disease due to the mutation of Huntingtin gene. This disease affects several cellular functions in neurons, and further influences motor and cognitive ability, leading to the suffering of devastating symptoms in HD patients. MicroRNA (miRNA) is a non-coding RNA, and is responsible for gene regulation at post-transcriptional levels in cells. Since one miRNA targets to several downstream genes, it may regulate different pathways simultaneously. As a result, it raises a potential therapy for different diseases using miRNAs, especially for inherited diseases. In this review, we will not only introduce the update information of HD and miRNA, but also discuss the development of potential miRNA-based therapy in HD. With the understanding toward the progression of miRNA studies in HD, we anticipate it may provide an insight to treat this devastating disease, even applying to other genetic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Wei Tung
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Pin-Yu Huang
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Siew Chin Chan
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Hsun Cheng
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Shang-Hsun Yang
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan. .,Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan.
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25
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Kim A, Lalonde K, Truesdell A, Gomes Welter P, Brocardo PS, Rosenstock TR, Gil-Mohapel J. New Avenues for the Treatment of Huntington's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168363. [PMID: 34445070 PMCID: PMC8394361 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG expansion in the HD gene. The disease is characterized by neurodegeneration, particularly in the striatum and cortex. The first symptoms usually appear in mid-life and include cognitive deficits and motor disturbances that progress over time. Despite being a genetic disorder with a known cause, several mechanisms are thought to contribute to neurodegeneration in HD, and numerous pre-clinical and clinical studies have been conducted and are currently underway to test the efficacy of therapeutic approaches targeting some of these mechanisms with varying degrees of success. Although current clinical trials may lead to the identification or refinement of treatments that are likely to improve the quality of life of those living with HD, major efforts continue to be invested at the pre-clinical level, with numerous studies testing novel approaches that show promise as disease-modifying strategies. This review offers a detailed overview of the currently approved treatment options for HD and the clinical trials for this neurodegenerative disorder that are underway and concludes by discussing potential disease-modifying treatments that have shown promise in pre-clinical studies, including increasing neurotropic support, modulating autophagy, epigenetic and genetic manipulations, and the use of nanocarriers and stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Kim
- Island Medical Program and Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada; (A.K.); (K.L.)
| | - Kathryn Lalonde
- Island Medical Program and Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada; (A.K.); (K.L.)
| | - Aaron Truesdell
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada;
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Priscilla Gomes Welter
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, Brazil; (P.G.W.); (P.S.B.)
| | - Patricia S. Brocardo
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, Brazil; (P.G.W.); (P.S.B.)
| | - Tatiana R. Rosenstock
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Science, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK;
- Department of Pharmacology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Joana Gil-Mohapel
- Island Medical Program and Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada; (A.K.); (K.L.)
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-250-472-4597; Fax: +1-250-472-5505
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26
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Abulimiti A, Lai MSL, Chang RCC. Applications of adeno-associated virus vector-mediated gene delivery for neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric diseases: Progress, advances, and challenges. Mech Ageing Dev 2021; 199:111549. [PMID: 34352323 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2021.111549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegeneration is the most common disease in the elderly population due to its slowly progressive nature of neuronal deterioration, eventually leading to executive dysfunction. The pathological markers of neurological disorders are relatively well-established, however, detailed molecular mechanisms of progression and therapeutic targets are needed to develop novel treatments in human patients. Treating known therapeutic targets of neurological diseases has been aided by recent advancements in adeno-associated virus (AAV) technology. AAVs are known for their low-immunogenicity, blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetrating ability, selective neuronal tropism, stable transgene expression, and pleiotropy. In addition, the usage of AAVs has enormous potential to be optimized. Therefore, AAV can be a powerful tool used to uncover the underlying pathophysiology of neurological disorders and to increase the success in human gene therapy. This review summarizes different optimization approaches of AAV vectors with their current applications in disease modeling, neural tracing and gene therapy, hence exploring progressive mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases as well as effective therapy. Lastly, this review discusses the limitations and future perspectives of the AAV-mediated transgene delivery system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amina Abulimiti
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, School of Biomedical Science, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Michael Siu-Lun Lai
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, School of Biomedical Science, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Raymond Chuen-Chung Chang
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, School of Biomedical Science, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
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27
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Vallès A, Evers MM, Stam A, Sogorb-Gonzalez M, Brouwers C, Vendrell-Tornero C, Acar-Broekmans S, Paerels L, Klima J, Bohuslavova B, Pintauro R, Fodale V, Bresciani A, Liscak R, Urgosik D, Starek Z, Crha M, Blits B, Petry H, Ellederova Z, Motlik J, van Deventer S, Konstantinova P. Widespread and sustained target engagement in Huntington's disease minipigs upon intrastriatal microRNA-based gene therapy. Sci Transl Med 2021; 13:13/588/eabb8920. [PMID: 33827977 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abb8920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Huntingtin (HTT)-lowering therapies hold promise to slow down neurodegeneration in Huntington's disease (HD). Here, we assessed the translatability and long-term durability of recombinant adeno-associated viral vector serotype 5 expressing a microRNA targeting human HTT (rAAV5-miHTT) administered by magnetic resonance imaging-guided convention-enhanced delivery in transgenic HD minipigs. rAAV5-miHTT (1.2 × 1013 vector genome (VG) copies per brain) was successfully administered into the striatum (bilaterally in caudate and putamen), using age-matched untreated animals as controls. Widespread brain biodistribution of vector DNA was observed, with the highest concentration in target (striatal) regions, thalamus, and cortical regions. Vector DNA presence and transgene expression were similar at 6 and 12 months after administration. Expression of miHTT strongly correlated with vector DNA, with a corresponding reduction of mutant HTT (mHTT) protein of more than 75% in injected areas, and 30 to 50% lowering in distal regions. Translational pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic measures in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were largely in line with the effects observed in the brain. CSF miHTT expression was detected up to 12 months, with CSF mHTT protein lowering of 25 to 30% at 6 and 12 months after dosing. This study demonstrates widespread biodistribution, strong and durable efficiency of rAAV5-miHTT in disease-relevant regions in a large brain, and the potential of using CSF analysis to determine vector expression and efficacy in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid Vallès
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands.
| | - Melvin M Evers
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands.
| | - Anouk Stam
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Marina Sogorb-Gonzalez
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Cynthia Brouwers
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Carlos Vendrell-Tornero
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Seyda Acar-Broekmans
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Lieke Paerels
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jiri Klima
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Rumburská 89, 277 21 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Bozena Bohuslavova
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Rumburská 89, 277 21 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Roberta Pintauro
- Department of Translational Biology, IRBM Science Park S.p.A., Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Italy
| | - Valentina Fodale
- Department of Translational Biology, IRBM Science Park S.p.A., Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Italy
| | - Alberto Bresciani
- Department of Translational Biology, IRBM Science Park S.p.A., Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Italy
| | - Roman Liscak
- Department of Stereotactic Radioneurosurgery, Na Homolce Hospital, Roentgenova 37/2, 150 30, Prague 5, Czech Republic
| | - Dusan Urgosik
- Department of Stereotactic Radioneurosurgery, Na Homolce Hospital, Roentgenova 37/2, 150 30, Prague 5, Czech Republic
| | - Zdenek Starek
- Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology, St. Anne's University Hospital, Pekařská 53, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Crha
- Small Animal Clinic, Veterinary and Pharmaceutical University, Palackého třída 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Bas Blits
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Harald Petry
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Zdenka Ellederova
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Rumburská 89, 277 21 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Motlik
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Rumburská 89, 277 21 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Sander van Deventer
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Pavlina Konstantinova
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
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28
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Cheong RY, Baldo B, Sajjad MU, Kirik D, Petersén Å. Effects of mutant huntingtin inactivation on Huntington disease-related behaviours in the BACHD mouse model. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2021; 47:564-578. [PMID: 33330988 PMCID: PMC8247873 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Huntington disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder with no disease-modifying treatments approved so far. Ongoing clinical trials are attempting to reduce huntingtin (HTT) expression in the central nervous system (CNS) using different strategies. Yet, the distribution and timing of HTT-lowering therapies required for a beneficial clinical effect is less clear. Here, we investigated whether HD-related behaviours could be prevented by inactivating mutant HTT at different disease stages and to varying degrees in an experimental model. METHODS We generated mutant BACHD mice with either a widespread or circuit-specific inactivation of mutant HTT by using Cre recombinase (Cre) under the nestin promoter or the adenosine A2A receptor promoter respectively. We also simulated a clinical gene therapy scenario with allele-specific HTT targeting by injections of recombinant adeno-associated viral (rAAV) vectors expressing Cre into the striatum of adult BACHD mice. All mice were assessed using behavioural tests to investigate motor, metabolic and psychiatric outcome measures at 4-6 months of age. RESULTS While motor deficits, body weight changes, anxiety and depressive-like behaviours are present in BACHD mice, early widespread CNS inactivation during development significantly improves rotarod performance, body weight changes and depressive-like behaviour. However, conditional circuit-wide mutant HTT deletion from the indirect striatal pathway during development and focal striatal-specific deletion in adulthood failed to rescue any of the HD-related behaviours. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that widespread targeting and the timing of interventions aimed at reducing mutant HTT are important factors to consider when developing disease-modifying therapies for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Y. Cheong
- Translational Neuroendocrine Research UnitDepartment of Experimental Medical ScienceLund UniversityLundSweden
| | - Barbara Baldo
- Translational Neuroendocrine Research UnitDepartment of Experimental Medical ScienceLund UniversityLundSweden
- Present address:
Evotec SEHD Research and Translational SciencesHamburgGermany
| | - Muhammad U. Sajjad
- Translational Neuroendocrine Research UnitDepartment of Experimental Medical ScienceLund UniversityLundSweden
| | - Deniz Kirik
- Brain Repair and Imaging in Neural Systems UnitDepartment of Experimental Medical ScienceLund UniversityLundSweden
| | - Åsa Petersén
- Translational Neuroendocrine Research UnitDepartment of Experimental Medical ScienceLund UniversityLundSweden
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Morozko EL, Smith-Geater C, Monteys AM, Pradhan S, Lim RG, Langfelder P, Kachemov M, Kulkarni JA, Zaifman J, Hill A, Stocksdale JT, Cullis PR, Wu J, Ochaba J, Miramontes R, Chakraborty A, Hazra TK, Lau A, St-Cyr S, Orellana I, Kopan L, Wang KQ, Yeung S, Leavitt BR, Reidling JC, Yang XW, Steffan JS, Davidson BL, Sarkar PS, Thompson LM. PIAS1 modulates striatal transcription, DNA damage repair, and SUMOylation with relevance to Huntington's disease. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2021836118. [PMID: 33468657 PMCID: PMC7848703 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2021836118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA damage repair genes are modifiers of disease onset in Huntington's disease (HD), but how this process intersects with associated disease pathways remains unclear. Here we evaluated the mechanistic contributions of protein inhibitor of activated STAT-1 (PIAS1) in HD mice and HD patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and find a link between PIAS1 and DNA damage repair pathways. We show that PIAS1 is a component of the transcription-coupled repair complex, that includes the DNA damage end processing enzyme polynucleotide kinase-phosphatase (PNKP), and that PIAS1 is a SUMO E3 ligase for PNKP. Pias1 knockdown (KD) in HD mice had a normalizing effect on HD transcriptional dysregulation associated with synaptic function and disease-associated transcriptional coexpression modules enriched for DNA damage repair mechanisms as did reduction of PIAS1 in HD iPSC-derived neurons. KD also restored mutant HTT-perturbed enzymatic activity of PNKP and modulated genomic integrity of several transcriptionally normalized genes. The findings here now link SUMO modifying machinery to DNA damage repair responses and transcriptional modulation in neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva L Morozko
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Charlene Smith-Geater
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Alejandro Mas Monteys
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cell and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Subrata Pradhan
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
| | - Ryan G Lim
- Institute of Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Peter Langfelder
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Marketta Kachemov
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Jayesh A Kulkarni
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z3
| | - Josh Zaifman
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z1
| | - Austin Hill
- Incisive Genetics Inc., Vancouver, BC, Canada V6A 0H9
| | | | - Pieter R Cullis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z3
- NanoMedicines Innovation Network, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z3
| | - Jie Wu
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Joseph Ochaba
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Ricardo Miramontes
- Institute of Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Anirban Chakraborty
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
| | - Tapas K Hazra
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
| | - Alice Lau
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Sophie St-Cyr
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cell and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Iliana Orellana
- Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Institute, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Lexi Kopan
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Keona Q Wang
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Sylvia Yeung
- Institute of Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Blair R Leavitt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V5Z 4H4
| | - Jack C Reidling
- Institute of Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - X William Yang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Joan S Steffan
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
- Institute of Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Beverly L Davidson
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cell and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Partha S Sarkar
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
| | - Leslie M Thompson
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697;
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
- Institute of Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
- Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Institute, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
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30
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Spronck EA, Vallès A, Lampen MH, Montenegro-Miranda PS, Keskin S, Heijink L, Evers MM, Petry H, van Deventer SJ, Konstantinova P, de Haan M. Intrastriatal Administration of AAV5-miHTT in Non-Human Primates and Rats Is Well Tolerated and Results in miHTT Transgene Expression in Key Areas of Huntington Disease Pathology. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11020129. [PMID: 33498212 PMCID: PMC7908995 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11020129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a fatal, neurodegenerative genetic disorder with aggregation of mutant Huntingtin protein (mutHTT) in the brain as a key pathological mechanism. There are currently no disease modifying therapies for HD; however, HTT-lowering therapies hold promise. Recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype 5 expressing a microRNA that targets HTT mRNA (AAV5-miHTT) is in development for the treatment of HD with promising results in rodent and minipig HD models. To support a clinical trial, toxicity studies were performed in non-human primates (NHP, Macaca fascicularis) and Sprague-Dawley rats to evaluate the safety of AAV5-miHTT, the neurosurgical administration procedure, vector delivery and expression of the miHTT transgene during a 6-month observation period. For accurate delivery of AAV5-miHTT to the striatum, real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with convection-enhanced delivery (CED) was used in NHP. Catheters were successfully implanted in 24 NHP, without neurological symptoms, and resulted in tracer signal in the target areas. Widespread vector DNA and miHTT transgene distribution in the brain was found, particularly in areas associated with HD pathology. Intrastriatal administration of AAV5-miHTT was well tolerated with no clinically relevant changes in either species. These studies demonstrate the excellent safety profile of AAV5-miHTT, the reproducibility and tolerability of intrastriatal administration, and the delivery of AAV5-miHTT to the brain, which support the transition of AAV5-miHTT into clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth A. Spronck
- uniQure biopharma B.V., 1105 BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (A.V.); (M.H.L.); (P.S.M.-M.); (S.K.); (L.H.); (M.M.E.); (H.P.); (P.K.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +31-(0)20-240-6091
| | - Astrid Vallès
- uniQure biopharma B.V., 1105 BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (A.V.); (M.H.L.); (P.S.M.-M.); (S.K.); (L.H.); (M.M.E.); (H.P.); (P.K.)
| | - Margit H. Lampen
- uniQure biopharma B.V., 1105 BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (A.V.); (M.H.L.); (P.S.M.-M.); (S.K.); (L.H.); (M.M.E.); (H.P.); (P.K.)
| | - Paula S. Montenegro-Miranda
- uniQure biopharma B.V., 1105 BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (A.V.); (M.H.L.); (P.S.M.-M.); (S.K.); (L.H.); (M.M.E.); (H.P.); (P.K.)
| | - Sonay Keskin
- uniQure biopharma B.V., 1105 BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (A.V.); (M.H.L.); (P.S.M.-M.); (S.K.); (L.H.); (M.M.E.); (H.P.); (P.K.)
| | - Liesbeth Heijink
- uniQure biopharma B.V., 1105 BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (A.V.); (M.H.L.); (P.S.M.-M.); (S.K.); (L.H.); (M.M.E.); (H.P.); (P.K.)
| | - Melvin M. Evers
- uniQure biopharma B.V., 1105 BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (A.V.); (M.H.L.); (P.S.M.-M.); (S.K.); (L.H.); (M.M.E.); (H.P.); (P.K.)
| | - Harald Petry
- uniQure biopharma B.V., 1105 BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (A.V.); (M.H.L.); (P.S.M.-M.); (S.K.); (L.H.); (M.M.E.); (H.P.); (P.K.)
| | - Sander J. van Deventer
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands;
| | - Pavlina Konstantinova
- uniQure biopharma B.V., 1105 BP Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (A.V.); (M.H.L.); (P.S.M.-M.); (S.K.); (L.H.); (M.M.E.); (H.P.); (P.K.)
| | - Martin de Haan
- Madeha Management & Consultancy, 1222 LM Nederhorst den Berg, The Netherlands;
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31
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Kotowska-Zimmer A, Pewinska M, Olejniczak M. Artificial miRNAs as therapeutic tools: Challenges and opportunities. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-RNA 2021; 12:e1640. [PMID: 33386705 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) technology has been used for almost two decades to study gene functions and in therapeutic approaches. It uses cellular machinery and small, designed RNAs in the form of synthetic small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) or vector-based short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs), and artificial miRNAs (amiRNAs) to inhibit a gene of interest. Artificial miRNAs, known also as miRNA mimics, shRNA-miRs, or pri-miRNA-like shRNAs have the most complex structures and undergo two-step processing in cells to form mature siRNAs, which are RNAi effectors. AmiRNAs are composed of a target-specific siRNA insert and scaffold based on a natural primary miRNA (pri-miRNA). siRNAs serve as a guide to search for complementary sequences in transcripts, whereas pri-miRNA scaffolds ensure proper processing and transport. The dynamics of siRNA maturation and siRNA levels in the cell resemble those of endogenous miRNAs; therefore amiRNAs are safer than other RNAi triggers. Delivered as viral vectors and expressed under tissue-specific polymerase II (Pol II) promoters, amiRNAs provide long-lasting silencing and expression in selected tissues. Therefore, amiRNAs are useful therapeutic tools for a broad spectrum of human diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, cancers and viral infections. Recent reports on the role of sequence and structure in pri-miRNA processing may contribute to the improvement of the amiRNA tools. In addition, the success of a recently initiated clinical trial for Huntington's disease could pave the way for other amiRNA-based therapies, if proven effective and safe. This article is categorized under: RNA Processing > Processing of Small RNAs Regulatory RNAs/RNAi/Riboswitches > RNAi: Mechanisms of Action RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kotowska-Zimmer
- Department of Genome Engineering, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry PAS, Poznan, Poland
| | - Marianna Pewinska
- Department of Genome Engineering, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry PAS, Poznan, Poland
| | - Marta Olejniczak
- Department of Genome Engineering, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry PAS, Poznan, Poland
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32
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Antisense Transcription across Nucleotide Repeat Expansions in Neurodegenerative and Neuromuscular Diseases: Progress and Mysteries. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11121418. [PMID: 33261024 PMCID: PMC7760973 DOI: 10.3390/genes11121418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Unstable repeat expansions and insertions cause more than 30 neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases. Remarkably, bidirectional transcription of repeat expansions has been identified in at least 14 of these diseases. More remarkably, a growing number of studies has been showing that both sense and antisense repeat RNAs are able to dysregulate important cellular pathways, contributing together to the observed clinical phenotype. Notably, antisense repeat RNAs from spinocerebellar ataxia type 7, myotonic dystrophy type 1, Huntington's disease and frontotemporal dementia/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis associated genes have been implicated in transcriptional regulation of sense gene expression, acting either at a transcriptional or posttranscriptional level. The recent evidence that antisense repeat RNAs could modulate gene expression broadens our understanding of the pathogenic pathways and adds more complexity to the development of therapeutic strategies for these disorders. In this review, we cover the amazing progress made in the understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms associated with repeat expansion neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases with a focus on the impact of antisense repeat transcription in the development of efficient therapies.
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33
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Iqubal A, Iqubal MK, Khan A, Ali J, Baboota S, Haque SE. Gene Therapy, A Novel Therapeutic Tool for Neurological Disorders: Current Progress, Challenges and Future Prospective. Curr Gene Ther 2020; 20:184-194. [DOI: 10.2174/1566523220999200716111502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 05/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
:
Neurological disorders are one of the major threat for health care system as they put enormous
socioeconomic burden. All aged populations are susceptible to one or other neurological problems
with symptoms of neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration and cognitive dysfunction. At present,
available pharmacotherapeutics are insufficient to treat these diseased conditions and in most cases,
they provide only palliative effect. It was also found that the molecular etiology of neurological disorders
is directly linked with the alteration in genetic makeup, which can be inherited or triggered by the
injury, environmental toxins and by some existing disease. Therefore, to take care of this situation,
gene therapy has emerged as an advanced modality that claims to permanently cure the disease by deletion,
silencing or edition of faulty genes and by insertion of healthier genes. In this modality, vectors
(viral and non-viral) are used to deliver targeted gene into a specific region of the brain via various
routes. At present, gene therapy has shown positive outcomes in complex neurological disorders, such
as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington disease, Multiple sclerosis, Amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis and in lysosomal storage disease. However, there are some limitations such as immunogenic
reactions non-specificity of viral vectors and a lack of effective biomarkers to understand the efficacy
of therapy. Considerable progress has been made to improve vector design, gene selection and
targeted delivery. This review article deals with the current status of gene therapy in neurological disorders
along with its clinical relevance, challenges and future prospective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashif Iqubal
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi- 110062, India
| | - Mohammad Kashif Iqubal
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi- 110062, India
| | - Aamir Khan
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi- 110062, India
| | - Javed Ali
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi- 110062, India
| | - Sanjula Baboota
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi- 110062, India
| | - Syed Ehtaishamul Haque
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi- 110062, India
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Jamwal S, Elsworth JD, Rahi V, Kumar P. Gene therapy and immunotherapy as promising strategies to combat Huntington's disease-associated neurodegeneration: emphasis on recent updates and future perspectives. Expert Rev Neurother 2020; 20:1123-1141. [PMID: 32720531 DOI: 10.1080/14737175.2020.1801424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Modulation of gene expression using gene therapy as well as modulation of immune activation using immunotherapy has attracted considerable attention as rapidly emerging potential therapeutic intervention for the treatment of HD. Several preclinical and clinical trials for gene-based therapy and immunotherapy/antibody-based have been conducted. AREAS COVERED This review focused on the potential use of gene therapy and immuno-based therapies to treat HD, including the current status, the rationale for these approaches as well as preclinical and clinical data supporting it. Growing knowledge of HD pathogenesis has resulted in the discovery of new therapeutic targets, some of which are now in clinical trials. Focus has been allocated to RNA and DNA-based gene therapies for the reduction of mutant huntingtin (mHTT), using Immuno/antibody-based therapies. EXPERT OPINION While safety and efficacy of gene therapy and immunotherapy has been well demonstrated for HD, therefore much focus has now been shifted to disease-modifying therapies. This review defines the current status and future directions of gene therapy and immunotherapies. The review summarizes by what means HD genetic root cause modification and functional restoration of mHtt protein could be achieved by using targeted multimodality gene therapy and immunotherapy to target intracellular and extracellular mHtt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumit Jamwal
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven, CT, USA
| | - John D Elsworth
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Vikrant Rahi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University , Bathinda, India
| | - Puneet Kumar
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Central University of Punjab , Bathinda, India
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35
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Chen W, Hu Y, Ju D. Gene therapy for neurodegenerative disorders: advances, insights and prospects. Acta Pharm Sin B 2020; 10:1347-1359. [PMID: 32963936 PMCID: PMC7488363 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2020.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Revised: 11/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene therapy is rapidly emerging as a powerful therapeutic strategy for a wide range of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and Huntington's disease (HD). Some early clinical trials have failed to achieve satisfactory therapeutic effects. Efforts to enhance effectiveness are now concentrating on three major fields: identification of new vectors, novel therapeutic targets, and reliable of delivery routes for transgenes. These approaches are being assessed closely in preclinical and clinical trials, which may ultimately provide powerful treatments for patients. Here, we discuss advances and challenges of gene therapy for neurodegenerative disorders, highlighting promising technologies, targets, and future prospects.
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Key Words
- AADC, aromatic-l-amino-acid
- AAVs, adeno-associated viruses
- AD, Alzheimer's disease
- ARSA, arylsulfatase A
- ASOs, antisense oligonucleotides
- ASPA, aspartoacylase
- Adeno-associated viruses
- Adv, adenovirus
- BBB, blood–brain barrier
- BCSFB, blood–cerebrospinal fluid barrier
- BRB, blood–retina barrier
- Bip, glucose regulated protein 78
- CHOP, CCAAT/enhancer binding homologous protein
- CLN6, ceroidlipofuscinosis neuronal protein 6
- CNS, central nervous system
- CSF, cerebrospinal fluid
- Central nervous system
- Delivery routes
- ER, endoplasmic reticulum
- FDA, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- GAA, lysosomal acid α-glucosidase
- GAD, glutamic acid decarboxylase
- GDNF, glial derived neurotrophic factor
- Gene therapy
- HD, Huntington's disease
- HSPGs, heparin sulfate proteoglycans
- HTT, mutant huntingtin
- IDS, iduronate 2-sulfatase
- LVs, retrovirus/lentivirus
- Lamp2a, lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2a
- NGF, nerve growth factor
- Neurodegenerative disorders
- PD, Parkinson's disease
- PGRN, Progranulin
- PINK1, putative kinase 1
- PTEN, phosphatase and tensin homolog
- RGCs, retinal ganglion cells
- RNAi, RNA interference
- RPE, retinal pigmented epithelial
- SGSH, lysosomal heparan-N-sulfamidase gene
- SMN, survival motor neuron
- SOD, superoxide dismutase
- SUMF, sulfatase-modifying factor
- TFEB, transcription factor EB
- TPP1, tripeptidyl peptidase 1
- TREM2, triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2
- UPR, unfolded protein response
- ZFPs, zinc finger proteins
- mTOR, mammalian target of rapamycin
- siRNA, small interfering RNA
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Chen
- Department of Biological Medicines, Fudan University School of Pharmacy, Shanghai 201203, China
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Yang Hu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Dianwen Ju
- Department of Biological Medicines, Fudan University School of Pharmacy, Shanghai 201203, China
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36
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Paul S, Bravo Vázquez LA, Pérez Uribe S, Roxana Reyes-Pérez P, Sharma A. Current Status of microRNA-Based Therapeutic Approaches in Neurodegenerative Disorders. Cells 2020; 9:cells9071698. [PMID: 32679881 PMCID: PMC7407981 DOI: 10.3390/cells9071698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a key gene regulator and play essential roles in several biological and pathological mechanisms in the human system. In recent years, plenty of miRNAs have been identified to be involved in the development of neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs), thus making them an attractive option for therapeutic approaches. Hence, in this review, we provide an overview of the current research of miRNA-based therapeutics for a selected set of NDDs, either for their high prevalence or lethality, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Friedreich's Ataxia, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and Frontotemporal Dementia. We also discuss the relevant delivery techniques, pertinent outcomes, their limitations, and their potential to become a new generation of human therapeutic drugs in the near future.
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37
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Evers MM, Konstantinova P. AAV5-miHTT gene therapy for Huntington disease: lowering both huntingtins. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2020; 20:1121-1124. [PMID: 32658606 DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2020.1792880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Melvin M Evers
- Research, uniQure biopharma B.V , Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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38
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Caron NS, Southwell AL, Brouwers CC, Cengio LD, Xie Y, Black HF, Anderson LM, Ko S, Zhu X, van Deventer SJ, Evers MM, Konstantinova P, Hayden MR. Potent and sustained huntingtin lowering via AAV5 encoding miRNA preserves striatal volume and cognitive function in a humanized mouse model of Huntington disease. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:36-54. [PMID: 31745548 PMCID: PMC7145682 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Revised: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by a pathogenic expansion of a CAG repeat in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. There are no disease-modifying therapies for HD. Artificial microRNAs targeting HTT transcripts for degradation have shown preclinical promise and will soon enter human clinical trials. Here, we examine the tolerability and efficacy of non-selective HTT lowering with an AAV5 encoded miRNA targeting human HTT (AAV5-miHTT) in the humanized Hu128/21 mouse model of HD. We show that intrastriatal administration of AAV5-miHTT results in potent and sustained HTT suppression for at least 7 months post-injection. Importantly, non-selective suppression of huntingtin was generally tolerated, however high dose AAV5-miHTT did induce astrogliosis. We observed an improvement of select behavioural and modest neuropathological HD-like phenotypes in Hu128/21 mice, suggesting a potential therapeutic benefit of miRNA-mediated non-selective HTT lowering. Finally, we also observed that potent reduction of wild type HTT (wtHTT) in Hu21 control mice was tolerated up to 7 months post-injection but may induce impairment of motor coordination and striatal atrophy. Taken together, our data suggests that in the context of HD, the therapeutic benefits of mHTT reduction may outweigh the potentially detrimental effects of wtHTT loss following non-selective HTT lowering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas S Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Amber L Southwell
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Cynthia C Brouwers
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Louisa Dal Cengio
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Yuanyun Xie
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Hailey Findlay Black
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lisa M Anderson
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Seunghyun Ko
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Xiang Zhu
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Sander J van Deventer
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Melvin M Evers
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Pavlina Konstantinova
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Management of Neuroinflammatory Responses to AAV-Mediated Gene Therapies for Neurodegenerative Diseases. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10020119. [PMID: 32098339 PMCID: PMC7071492 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10020119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated gene therapies have attracted clinical interest for treating neurodegenerative diseases including spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), Canavan disease (CD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and Friedreich’s ataxia (FA). The influx of clinical findings led to the first approved gene therapy for neurodegenerative disorders in 2019 and highlighted new safety concerns for patients. Large doses of systemically administered AAV stimulate host immune responses, resulting in anti-capsid and anti-transgene immunity with implications for transgene expression, treatment longevity, and patient safety. Delivering lower doses directly to the central nervous system (CNS) is a promising alternative, resulting in higher transgene expression with decreased immune responses. However, neuroinflammatory responses after CNS-targeted delivery of AAV are a critical concern. Reported signs of AAV-associated neuroinflammation in preclinical studies include dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and spinal cord pathology with mononuclear cell infiltration. In this review, we discuss ways to manage neuroinflammation, including choice of AAV capsid serotypes, CNS-targeting routes of delivery, genetic modifications to the vector and/or transgene, and adding immunosuppressive strategies to clinical protocols. As additional gene therapies for neurodegenerative diseases enter clinics, tracking biomarkers of neuroinflammation will be important for understanding the impact immune reactions can have on treatment safety and efficacy.
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Argentati C, Tortorella I, Bazzucchi M, Morena F, Martino S. Harnessing the Potential of Stem Cells for Disease Modeling: Progress and Promises. J Pers Med 2020; 10:E8. [PMID: 32041088 PMCID: PMC7151621 DOI: 10.3390/jpm10010008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Revised: 01/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Ex vivo cell/tissue-based models are an essential step in the workflow of pathophysiology studies, assay development, disease modeling, drug discovery, and development of personalized therapeutic strategies. For these purposes, both scientific and pharmaceutical research have adopted ex vivo stem cell models because of their better predictive power. As matter of a fact, the advancing in isolation and in vitro expansion protocols for culturing autologous human stem cells, and the standardization of methods for generating patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells has made feasible to generate and investigate human cellular disease models with even greater speed and efficiency. Furthermore, the potential of stem cells on generating more complex systems, such as scaffold-cell models, organoids, or organ-on-a-chip, allowed to overcome the limitations of the two-dimensional culture systems as well as to better mimic tissues structures and functions. Finally, the advent of genome-editing/gene therapy technologies had a great impact on the generation of more proficient stem cell-disease models and on establishing an effective therapeutic treatment. In this review, we discuss important breakthroughs of stem cell-based models highlighting current directions, advantages, and limitations and point out the need to combine experimental biology with computational tools able to describe complex biological systems and deliver results or predictions in the context of personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Argentati
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Perugia, Via del Giochetto, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.A.); (I.T.); (M.B.); (F.M.)
| | - Ilaria Tortorella
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Perugia, Via del Giochetto, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.A.); (I.T.); (M.B.); (F.M.)
| | - Martina Bazzucchi
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Perugia, Via del Giochetto, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.A.); (I.T.); (M.B.); (F.M.)
| | - Francesco Morena
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Perugia, Via del Giochetto, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.A.); (I.T.); (M.B.); (F.M.)
| | - Sabata Martino
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Perugia, Via del Giochetto, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (C.A.); (I.T.); (M.B.); (F.M.)
- CEMIN, Center of Excellence on Nanostructured Innovative Materials, Via del Giochetto, 06126 Perugia, Italy
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AAV5-miHTT Lowers Huntingtin mRNA and Protein without Off-Target Effects in Patient-Derived Neuronal Cultures and Astrocytes. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2019; 15:275-284. [PMID: 31737741 PMCID: PMC6849441 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2019.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative genetic disorder, thought to reflect a toxic gain of function in huntingtin (Htt) protein. Adeno-associated viral vector serotype 5 (AAV5)- microRNA targeting huntingtin (miHTT) is a HD gene-therapy candidate that efficiently lowers HTT using RNAi. This study analyzed the efficacy and potential for off-target effects with AAV5-miHTT in neuronal and astrocyte cell cultures differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from two individuals with HD (HD71 and HD180). One-time AAV5-miHTT treatment significantly reduced human HTT mRNA by 57% and Htt protein by 68% in neurons. Small RNA sequencing showed that mature miHTT was processed correctly without off-target passenger strand. No cellular microRNAs were dysregulated, indicating that endogenous RNAi machinery was unaffected by miHTT overexpression. qPCR validation of in silico-predicted off-target transcripts, next-generation sequencing, and pathway analysis confirmed absence of dysregulated genes due to sequence homology or seed-sequence activity of miHTT. Minor effects on gene expression were observed in both AAV5-miHTT and AAV5-GFP-treated samples, suggesting that they were due to viral transduction rather than miHTT. This study confirms the efficacy of AAV5-miHTT in HD patient iPSC-derived neuronal cultures and lack of off-target effects in gene expression and regulation in neuronal cells and astrocytes.
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