Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment Commons^™

Evolution Of The Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Muscle Gene Therapy: Translation From Clinical Trial To Benchtop And Back Again, Alisha M. Gruntman, Gwladys Gernoux, Gensheng Wang, Janet Benson, Jeff Chulay, Dave Knop, Christian Mueller, Terence R. Flotte

Christian Mueller

Alpha-one antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency is a genetic disease affecting the lungs due to inadequate anti-protease activity in the pulmonary interstitium. On-going human trials use intra-muscular delivery of adeno-associated virus (rAAV1), allowing expressing myofibers to secrete normal (M)AAT protein. In the Phase IIa trial, patients in the highest dose cohort (6x1012vg/kg) were given 100 intra-muscular (IM) injections of undiluted vector, with serum AAT levels still substantially below target levels. Previous work has shown that delivering rAAV vector to the musculature via limb perfusion leads to widespread gene expression in myofibers. We hypothesize that widespread delivery would result in an overall increase …