1. Sustained normalization of neurological disease after intracranial gene therapy in a feline model.
- Author
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McCurdy VJ, Johnson AK, Gray-Edwards HL, Randle AN, Brunson BL, Morrison NE, Salibi N, Johnson JA, Hwang M, Beyers RJ, Leroy SG, Maitland S, Denney TS, Cox NR, Baker HJ, Sena-Esteves M, and Martin DR
- Subjects
- Animals, Breeding, Cats, Dependovirus metabolism, Disease Models, Animal, Disease Progression, Female, Humans, Lysosomes enzymology, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Organ Specificity, Survival Analysis, beta-Galactosidase genetics, beta-Galactosidase therapeutic use, Brain pathology, Genetic Therapy, Nervous System Diseases therapy
- Abstract
Progressive debilitating neurological defects characterize feline G(M1) gangliosidosis, a lysosomal storage disease caused by deficiency of lysosomal β-galactosidase. No effective therapy exists for affected children, who often die before age 5 years. An adeno-associated viral vector carrying the therapeutic gene was injected bilaterally into two brain targets (thalamus and deep cerebellar nuclei) of a feline model of G(M1) gangliosidosis. Gene therapy normalized β-galactosidase activity and storage throughout the brain and spinal cord. The mean survival of 12 treated G(M1) animals was >38 months, compared to 8 months for untreated animals. Seven of the eight treated animals remaining alive demonstrated normalization of disease, with abrogation of many symptoms including gait deficits and postural imbalance. Sustained correction of the G(M1) gangliosidosis disease phenotype after limited intracranial targeting by gene therapy in a large animal model suggests that this approach may be useful for treating the human version of this lysosomal storage disorder.
- Published
- 2014
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