1
|
Strobel B, Düchs MJ, Blazevic D, Rechtsteiner P, Braun C, Baum-Kroker KS, Schmid B, Ciossek T, Gottschling D, Hartig JS, Kreuz S. A Small-Molecule-Responsive Riboswitch Enables Conditional Induction of Viral Vector-Mediated Gene Expression in Mice. ACS Synth Biol 2020; 9:1292-1305. [PMID: 32427483 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.9b00410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector-mediated gene therapy holds great potential for future medical applications. However, to facilitate safer and broader applicability and to enable patient-centric care, therapeutic protein expression should be controllable, ideally by an orally administered drug. The use of protein-based systems is considered rather undesirable, due to potential immunogenicity and the limited coding space of AAV. Ligand-dependent riboswitches, in contrast, are small and characterized by an attractive mode-of-action based on mRNA-self-cleavage, independent of coexpressed foreign protein. While a promising approach, switches available to date have only shown moderate potency in animals. In particular, ON-switches that induce transgene expression upon ligand administration so far have achieved rather disappointing results. Here we present the utilization of the previously described tetracycline-dependent ribozyme K19 for controlling AAV-mediated transgene expression in mice. Using this tool switch, we provide first proof for the feasibility of clinically desired key features, including multiorgan functionality, potent regulation (up to 15-fold induction), reversibility, and the possibility to fine-tune and repeatedly induce expression. The systematic assessment of ligand and reporter protein plasma levels further enabled the characterization of pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic relationships. Thus, our results strongly support future efforts to develop engineered riboswitches for applications in clinical gene therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Strobel
- Research Beyond Borders, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, 88397, Germany
| | - Matthias J. Düchs
- Research Beyond Borders, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, 88397, Germany
| | - Dragica Blazevic
- Research Beyond Borders, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, 88397, Germany
| | - Philipp Rechtsteiner
- Research Beyond Borders, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, 88397, Germany
| | - Clemens Braun
- Drug Discovery Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, 88397, Germany
| | - Katja S. Baum-Kroker
- Drug Discovery Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, 88397, Germany
| | - Bernhard Schmid
- Drug Discovery Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, 88397, Germany
| | - Thomas Ciossek
- Research Beyond Borders, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, 88397, Germany
| | - Dirk Gottschling
- Medicinal Chemistry, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, 88397, Germany
| | - Jörg S. Hartig
- Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, 78464, Germany
| | - Sebastian Kreuz
- Research Beyond Borders, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, 88397, Germany
| |
Collapse
|