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Association Of Ubqln1 Mutation With Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere Syndrome But Not Typical Als, Paloma Gonzalez-Perez, Yubing Lu, Ru-Ju Chian, Peter Sapp, Rudolph Tanzi, Lars Bertram, Diane Mckenna-Yasek, Fen-Biao Gao, Robert Brown Dec 2012

Association Of Ubqln1 Mutation With Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere Syndrome But Not Typical Als, Paloma Gonzalez-Perez, Yubing Lu, Ru-Ju Chian, Peter Sapp, Rudolph Tanzi, Lars Bertram, Diane Mckenna-Yasek, Fen-Biao Gao, Robert Brown

Dr Robert Brown

Genetic variants in UBQLN1 gene have been linked to neurodegeneration and mutations in UBQLN2 have recently been identified as a rare cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). OBJECTIVE: To test if genetic variants in UBQLN1 are involved in ALS. METHODS: 102 and 94 unrelated patients with familial and sporadic forms of ALS were screened for UBQLN1 gene mutations. Single nucleotide variants were further screened in a larger set of sporadic ALS (SALS) patients and unrelated control subjects using high-throughput Taqman genotyping; variants were further assessed for novelty using the 1000Genomes and NHLBI databases. In vitro studies tested the effect of …


Dendritic Cells In Hepatitis C Infection: Can They (Help) Win The Battle, Angela Dolganiuc, Gyongyi Szabo Oct 2012

Dendritic Cells In Hepatitis C Infection: Can They (Help) Win The Battle, Angela Dolganiuc, Gyongyi Szabo

Gyongyi Szabo

Infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a public health problem; it establishes a chronic course in ~85% of infected patients and increases their risk for developing liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and significant extrahepatic manifestations. The mechanisms of HCV persistence remain elusive and are largely related to inefficient clearance of the virus by the host immune system. Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most efficient inducers of immune responses; they are capable of triggering productive immunity and maintaining the state of tolerance to self- and non-self antigens. During the past decade, multiple research groups have focused on DCs, in hopes of …


Inflammasomes In Liver Diseases, Gyongyi Szabo, Timea Csak Oct 2012

Inflammasomes In Liver Diseases, Gyongyi Szabo, Timea Csak

Gyongyi Szabo

Inflammation is a common element in the pathogenesis of most chronic liver diseases that lead to fibrosis and cirrhosis. Inflammation is characterized by activation of innate immune cells and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, and TNFalpha. Inflammasomes are intracellular multiprotein complexes expressed in both parenchymal and non-parenchymal cells of the liver that in response to cellular danger signals activate caspase-1, and release IL-1beta and IL-18. The importance of inflammasome activation in various forms of liver diseases in relation to liver damage, steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis is discussed in this review. Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.


Hypoxia And Hypoxia Inducible Factors: Diverse Roles In Liver Diseases, Bharath Nath, Gyongyi Szabo Oct 2012

Hypoxia And Hypoxia Inducible Factors: Diverse Roles In Liver Diseases, Bharath Nath, Gyongyi Szabo

Gyongyi Szabo

Hypoxia has been shown to have a role in the pathogenesis of several forms of liver disease. The hypoxia inducible factors (HIFs) are a family of evolutionarily conserved transcriptional regulators that affect a homeostatic response to low oxygen tension and have been identified as key mediators of angiogenesis, inflammation, and metabolism. In this review we summarize the evidence for a role of HIFs across a range of hepatic pathophysiology. We describe regulation of the HIFs and review investigations that demonstrate a role for HIFs in the development of liver fibrosis, activation of innate immune pathways, hepatocellular carcinoma, as well as …


Mitochondrial Antiviral Signaling Protein Defect Links Impaired Antiviral Response And Liver Injury In Steatohepatitis In Mice, Timea Csak, Angela Dolganiuc, Karen Kodys, Bharath Nath, Jan Petrasek, Shashi Bala, Dora Lippai, Gyongyi Szabo Oct 2012

Mitochondrial Antiviral Signaling Protein Defect Links Impaired Antiviral Response And Liver Injury In Steatohepatitis In Mice, Timea Csak, Angela Dolganiuc, Karen Kodys, Bharath Nath, Jan Petrasek, Shashi Bala, Dora Lippai, Gyongyi Szabo

Gyongyi Szabo

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a pathogenic feature of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). NASH complicates hepatotropic viral disease. The mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS) is the adapter of helicase receptors involved in sensing double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). We hypothesized that impaired MAVS function may contribute to insufficient antiviral response and liver damage in steatohepatitis. We identified reduced MAVS protein levels and increased MAVS association with the proteasome subunit alpha type 7 (PSMA7) in livers from mice given a methionine-choline-deficient (MCD) diet. Decreased association of MAVS with mitochondria and increased cytosolic cytochrome c indicated mitochondrial damage in steatohepatitis. In vivo administration of the synthetic dsRNA …


An Essential Role For Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 In Alcoholic Liver Injury: Regulation Of Proinflammatory Cytokines And Hepatic Steatosis In Mice, Pranoti Mandrekar, Aditya Ambade, Arlene Lim, Gyongyi Szabo, Donna Catalano Oct 2012

An Essential Role For Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 In Alcoholic Liver Injury: Regulation Of Proinflammatory Cytokines And Hepatic Steatosis In Mice, Pranoti Mandrekar, Aditya Ambade, Arlene Lim, Gyongyi Szabo, Donna Catalano

Gyongyi Szabo

The importance of chemokines in alcoholic liver injury has been implicated. The role of the chemokine, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), elevated in patients with alcoholic liver disease is not yet understood. Here, we evaluated the pathophysiological significance of MCP-1 and its receptor, chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 2 (CCR2), in alcoholic liver injury. The Leiber-DeCarli diet containing alcohol or isocaloric control diets were fed to wild-type (WT) and MCP-1-deficient knockout (KO) mice for 6 weeks. In vivo and in vitro assays were performed to study the role of MCP-1 in alcoholic liver injury. MCP-1 was increased in Kupffer cells (KCs) as …


Cd81/Cd9 Tetraspanins Aid Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells In Recognition Of Hcv-Infected Cells And Induction Of Ifnalpha, Shuye Zhang, Karen Kodys, Gregory Babcock, Gyongyi Szabo Oct 2012

Cd81/Cd9 Tetraspanins Aid Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells In Recognition Of Hcv-Infected Cells And Induction Of Ifnalpha, Shuye Zhang, Karen Kodys, Gregory Babcock, Gyongyi Szabo

Gyongyi Szabo

Recognition of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected hepatocyes and interferon (IFN) induction are critical in antiviral immune response. We hypothesized that cell-cell contact between plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) and HCV-infected cells was required for IFNalpha induction via involvement of cell surface molecules. Co-culture of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with genotype 1a full length HCV genomic replicon cells (FL) or genotype 2a JFH-1 virus infected hepatoma cells (JFH-1), not with uninfected hepatoma cells (Huh7.5), induced IFNalpha production. Depletion of pDCs from PBMCs attenuated IFNalpha release and purified pDCs produced high levels of IFNalpha after co-culture with FL replicons or JFH-1 …


Novel Developmental Biology-Based Protocol Of Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation To Morphologically Sound And Functional Yet Immature Hepatocytes, Terence Bukong, Tracie Lo, Gyongyi Szabo, Angela Dolganiuc Oct 2012

Novel Developmental Biology-Based Protocol Of Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation To Morphologically Sound And Functional Yet Immature Hepatocytes, Terence Bukong, Tracie Lo, Gyongyi Szabo, Angela Dolganiuc

Gyongyi Szabo

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Liver diseases are common in the United States and often require liver transplantation; however, donated organs are limited and thus alternative sources for liver cells are in high demand. Embryonic stem cells (ESC) can provide a continuous and readily available source of liver cells. ESC differentiation to liver cells is yet to be fully understood and comprehensive differentiation protocols are yet to be defined. Here, we aimed to achieve human (h)ESC differentiation into mature hepatocytes using defined recombinant differentiation factors and metabolites. METHODS: Embryonic stem cell H1 line was sub-cultured on feeder layer. We induced hESCs into endodermal differentiation …


Circulating Micrornas In Exosomes Indicate Hepatocyte Injury And Inflammation In Alcoholic, Drug-Induced, And Inflammatory Liver Diseases, Shashi Bala, Jan Petrasek, Shiv Mundkur, Donna Catalano, Ivan Levin, Jeanine Ward, Hawau Alao, Karen Kodys, Gyongyi Szabo Oct 2012

Circulating Micrornas In Exosomes Indicate Hepatocyte Injury And Inflammation In Alcoholic, Drug-Induced, And Inflammatory Liver Diseases, Shashi Bala, Jan Petrasek, Shiv Mundkur, Donna Catalano, Ivan Levin, Jeanine Ward, Hawau Alao, Karen Kodys, Gyongyi Szabo

Gyongyi Szabo

MicroRNAs are fine tuners of diverse biological responses and are expressed in various cell types of the liver. Here we hypothesized that circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) may serve as biomarkers of liver damage and inflammation. We studied miRNA-122, which is abundant in hepatocytes, and miR-155, -146a, and -125b, which regulate inflammation in immune cells in mouse models of alcoholic liver disease (ALD), drug (acetaminophen, APAP)-induced liver injury (DILI), and Toll-like receptor (TLR) 9+4 ligand-induced inflammatory cell-mediated liver damage. We found that serum/plasma miR-122 correlated with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) increases in the liver damage caused by alcohol, APAP, and TLR9 (CpG)+4 (LPS) …


Fatty Acid And Endotoxin Activate Inflammasomes In Mouse Hepatocytes That Release Danger Signals To Stimulate Immune Cells, Timea Csak, Michal Ganz, Justin Pespisa, Karen Kodys, Angela Dolganiuc, Gyongyi Szabo Oct 2012

Fatty Acid And Endotoxin Activate Inflammasomes In Mouse Hepatocytes That Release Danger Signals To Stimulate Immune Cells, Timea Csak, Michal Ganz, Justin Pespisa, Karen Kodys, Angela Dolganiuc, Gyongyi Szabo

Gyongyi Szabo

The pathogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and inflammasome activation involves sequential hits. The inflammasome, which cleaves pro-interleukin-1beta (pro-IL-1beta) into secreted IL-1beta, is induced by endogenous and exogenous danger signals. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a toll-like receptor 4 ligand, plays a role in NASH and also activates the inflammasome. In this study, we hypothesized that the inflammasome is activated in NASH by multiple hits involving endogenous and exogenous danger signals. Using mouse models of methionine choline-deficient (MCD) diet-induced NASH and high-fat diet-induced NASH, we found up-regulation of the inflammasome [including NACHT, LRR, and PYD domains-containing protein 3 (NALP3; cryopyrin), apoptosis-associated speck-like CARD-domain containing …


Consumption Of High Ω-3 Fatty Acid Diet Suppressed Prostate Tumorigenesis In C3(1) Tag Mice, Juliana Akinsete, Gabriela Ion, Theodore Witte, W. Hardman Oct 2012

Consumption Of High Ω-3 Fatty Acid Diet Suppressed Prostate Tumorigenesis In C3(1) Tag Mice, Juliana Akinsete, Gabriela Ion, Theodore Witte, W. Hardman

Gabriela Ion

Prostate cancer incidence and mortality are high in the Western world and high ω-6/ω-3 PUFA in the Western diet may be a contributing factor. We investigated whether changing from a diet that approximates ω-6 fat content of the Western diet to a high ω-3 fat diet at adulthood might reduce prostate cancer risk. Female SV 129 mice that had consumed a high ω-6 diet containing corn oil for 2 weeks were bred with homozygous C3(1)Tag transgenic male mice. All male offspring were weaned to the corn oil diet (CO) until postpuberty when half of the male offspring were transferred to …


Self-Reported Colorectal Cancer Screening Of Medicare Beneficiaries In Family Medicine Vs. Internal Medicine Practices In The United States: A Cross-Sectional Study, Angela Higgins, Anna Doubeni, Karon Phillips, Adeyinka Laiyemo, Becky Briesacher, Jennifer Tjia, Chyke Doubeni Oct 2012

Self-Reported Colorectal Cancer Screening Of Medicare Beneficiaries In Family Medicine Vs. Internal Medicine Practices In The United States: A Cross-Sectional Study, Angela Higgins, Anna Doubeni, Karon Phillips, Adeyinka Laiyemo, Becky Briesacher, Jennifer Tjia, Chyke Doubeni

Chyke A. Doubeni

BACKGROUND: The benefit of screening for decreasing the risk of death from colorectal cancer (CRC) has been shown, yet many patients in primary care are still not undergoing screening according to guidelines. There are known variations in delivery of preventive health care services among primary care physicians. This study compared self-reported CRC screening rates and patient awareness of the need for CRC screening of patients receiving care from family medicine (FPs) vs. internal medicine (internists) physicians. METHODS: Nationally representative sample of non-institutionalized beneficiaries who received medical care from FPs or internists in 2006 (using Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey). The main …


First-In-Class Small Molecule Inhibitors Of The Single-Strand Dna Cytosine Deaminase Apobec3g, Ming Li, Shivender Shandilya, Michael Carpenter, Anurag Rathore, William Brown, Angela Perkins, Daniel Harki, Jonathan Solberg, Derek Hook, Krishan Pandey, Michael Parniak, Jeffrey Johnson, Nevan Krogan, Mohan Somasundaran, Akbar Ali, Celia Schiffer, Reuben Harris Sep 2012

First-In-Class Small Molecule Inhibitors Of The Single-Strand Dna Cytosine Deaminase Apobec3g, Ming Li, Shivender Shandilya, Michael Carpenter, Anurag Rathore, William Brown, Angela Perkins, Daniel Harki, Jonathan Solberg, Derek Hook, Krishan Pandey, Michael Parniak, Jeffrey Johnson, Nevan Krogan, Mohan Somasundaran, Akbar Ali, Celia Schiffer, Reuben Harris

Celia A. Schiffer

APOBEC3G is a single-stranded DNA cytosine deaminase that comprises part of the innate immune response to viruses and transposons. Although APOBEC3G is the prototype for understanding the larger mammalian polynucleotide deaminase family, no specific chemical inhibitors exist to modulate its activity. High-throughput screening identified 34 compounds that inhibit APOBEC3G catalytic activity. Twenty of 34 small molecules contained catechol moieties, which are known to be sulfhydryl reactive following oxidation to the orthoquinone. Located proximal to the active site, C321 was identified as the binding site for the inhibitors by a combination of mutational screening, structural analysis, and mass spectrometry. Bulkier substitutions …


Long-Term Correction Of Very Long-Chain Acyl-Coa Dehydrogenase Deficiency In Mice Using Aav9 Gene Therapy, Allison Keeler, Thomas Conlon, Glenn Walter, Huadong Zeng, Scott Shaffer, Fu Dungtao, Kirsten Erger, Travis Cossette, Qiushi Tang, Christian Mueller, Terence Flotte Sep 2012

Long-Term Correction Of Very Long-Chain Acyl-Coa Dehydrogenase Deficiency In Mice Using Aav9 Gene Therapy, Allison Keeler, Thomas Conlon, Glenn Walter, Huadong Zeng, Scott Shaffer, Fu Dungtao, Kirsten Erger, Travis Cossette, Qiushi Tang, Christian Mueller, Terence Flotte

Christian Mueller

Very long-chain acyl-coA dehydrogenase (VLCAD) is the rate-limiting step in mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation. VLCAD-deficient mice and patients clinical symptoms stem from not only an energy deficiency but also long-chain metabolite accumulations. VLCAD-deficient mice were treated systemically with 1 x 10(12) vector genomes of recombinant adeno-associated virus 9 (rAAV9)-VLCAD. Biochemical correction was observed in vector-treated mice beginning 2 weeks postinjection, as characterized by a significant drop in long-chain fatty acyl accumulates in whole blood after an overnight fast. Changes persisted through the termination point around 20 weeks postinjection. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) revealed normalization of …


Non-Helicobacter Pylori Related Duodenal Ulcer Disease In Children, Yoram Elitsur, Zandra Lawrence Sep 2012

Non-Helicobacter Pylori Related Duodenal Ulcer Disease In Children, Yoram Elitsur, Zandra Lawrence

Yoram Elitsur

Background. In spite of the worldwide distribution of Helicobacter pylori infection, recent data have reported an increased rate of non-H. pylori, non-NSAIDs-duodenal ulcer disease in adults. The estimated rate of these ulcers in children is unknown. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of non-H. pylori, non-NSAIDs-peptic ulcer disease in our pediatric patients who undergo upper endoscopic procedures. Methods. A retrospective analysis of 622 upper endoscopic reports was performed. Reports that documented mucosal ulcerations were included in our study. The demographic, clinical, endoscopic, and histological data were retrieved. The H. pylori-negative, duodenal/gastric ulcer-positive patients were compared with H. pylori-positive, duodenal/gastric ulcer-positive …


Global Analysis Of Gene Expression Changes During Retinoic Acid-Induced Growth Arrest And Differentiation Of Melanoma: Comparison To Differentially Expressed Genes In Melanocytes Vs Melanoma, Mary Estler, Goran Boskovic, James Denvir, Sarah Miles, Donald Primerano, Richard Niles Sep 2012

Global Analysis Of Gene Expression Changes During Retinoic Acid-Induced Growth Arrest And Differentiation Of Melanoma: Comparison To Differentially Expressed Genes In Melanocytes Vs Melanoma, Mary Estler, Goran Boskovic, James Denvir, Sarah Miles, Donald Primerano, Richard Niles

James Denvir

BACKGROUND: The incidence of malignant melanoma has significantly increased over the last decade. Some of these malignancies are susceptible to the growth inhibitory and pro-differentiating effects of all-trans-retinoic acid (RA). The molecular changes responsible for the biological activity of RA in melanoma are not well understood. RESULTS: In an analysis of sequential global gene expression changes during a 4-48 h RA treatment of B16 mouse melanoma cells, we found that RA increased the expression of 757 genes and decreased the expression of 737 genes. We also compared the gene expression profile (no RA treatment) between non-malignant melan-a mouse melanocytes and …


Gene Transfer In The Lung Using Recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus, Alisha Gruntman, Christian Mueller, Terence Flotte, Guangping Gao Aug 2012

Gene Transfer In The Lung Using Recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus, Alisha Gruntman, Christian Mueller, Terence Flotte, Guangping Gao

Christian Mueller

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is a small replication-deficient DNA virus belonging to the Parvovirinae family. It has a single-stranded ∼4.7-kb genome. Recombinant AAV (rAAV) is created by replacing the viral rep and cap genes with the transgene of interest along with promoter and polyadenylation sequences. The short viral inverted terminal repeats must remain intact for replication and packaging in production, as well as vector genome processing and persistence in the transduction process. The AAV capsid (serotype) determines the tissue tropism of the rAAV vector. In this unit we will discuss serotype selection for lung targeting along with the factors effecting efficient …


Long-Stay Patients In State Psychiatric Hospitals At The End Of The 20th Century, William Fisher, Paul Barreira, Jeffrey Geller, Andrew White, Alisa Lincoln, Marylou Sudders Apr 2012

Long-Stay Patients In State Psychiatric Hospitals At The End Of The 20th Century, William Fisher, Paul Barreira, Jeffrey Geller, Andrew White, Alisa Lincoln, Marylou Sudders

Alisa Lincoln

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess the characteristics of long-stay patients in contemporary state psychiatric hospitals and to identify factors representing possible barriers to alternative placements for these patients. METHODS: All patients in inpatient units of the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health who had been hospitalized for at least three years as of April 1, 1999, were assessed by their treatment teams with a standardized data collection instrument. Domains assessed included medical problems, need for nursing care, psychiatric diagnosis, and history of problematic behaviors. RESULTS: The 330 individuals identified as long-stay patients had an array of medical …


Inhibition Of Abcb1 (Mdr1) Expression By An Sirna Nanoparticulate Delivery System To Overcome Drug Resistance In Osteosarcoma, Michiro Susa, Arun Iyer, Keinosuke Ryu, Edwin Choi, Francis Hornicek, Henry Mankin, Lara Milane, Mansoor Amiji, Zhenfeng Duan Apr 2012

Inhibition Of Abcb1 (Mdr1) Expression By An Sirna Nanoparticulate Delivery System To Overcome Drug Resistance In Osteosarcoma, Michiro Susa, Arun Iyer, Keinosuke Ryu, Edwin Choi, Francis Hornicek, Henry Mankin, Lara Milane, Mansoor Amiji, Zhenfeng Duan

Arun Iyer

Background: The use of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy in treating osteosarcoma has improved patients’ average 5 year survival rate from 20% to 70% in the past 30 years. However, for patients who progress after chemotherapy, its effectiveness diminishes due to the emergence of multi-drug resistance (MDR) after prolonged therapy. Methodology/Principal Findings: In order to overcome both the dose-limiting side effects of conventional chemotherapeutic agents and the therapeutic failure resulting from MDR, we designed and evaluated a novel drug delivery system for MDR1 siRNA delivery. Novel biocompatible, lipid-modified dextran-based polymeric nanoparticles were used as the platform for MDR1 siRNA delivery; and the efficacy …


The Pros And Cons Of Immunomodulatory Il-10 Gene Therapy With Recombinant Aav In A Cftr-/- -Dependent Allergy Mouse Model, Christian Mueller, Sofia Braag, A. Martino, Qiushi Tang, M. Campbell-Thompson, Terence Flotte Mar 2012

The Pros And Cons Of Immunomodulatory Il-10 Gene Therapy With Recombinant Aav In A Cftr-/- -Dependent Allergy Mouse Model, Christian Mueller, Sofia Braag, A. Martino, Qiushi Tang, M. Campbell-Thompson, Terence Flotte

Christian Mueller

Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients have decreased levels of lung epithelial interleukin (IL)-10 and increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-alpha, IL-4, IL-8 and IL-6). This has also been documented in Cftr (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator)-deficient mice (Cftr 489X(-/-), FABP-hCFTR(+/+)). Our laboratory has recently characterized a peculiar hyper-IgE phenotype in these mice, in response to Aspergillus fumigatus crude protein extract (Af-cpe). Thus, we hypothesized that sustained systemic circulating IL-10 levels achieved through skeletal muscle transduction with recombinant adeno-associated vectors expressing IL-10 (rAAV1-IL-10) would serve to downregulate Th1 and Th2 cytokine production. This in turn would dampen the allergic response …


Apparently Nonspecific Enzyme Elevations After Portal Vein Delivery Of Recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus Serotype 2 Vector In Hepatitis C Virus-Infected Chimpanzees, Terence Flotte, Jason Goetzmann, James Caridi, Joseph Paolillo, Thomas Conlon, Mark Potter, Christian Mueller, Barry Bryne Mar 2012

Apparently Nonspecific Enzyme Elevations After Portal Vein Delivery Of Recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus Serotype 2 Vector In Hepatitis C Virus-Infected Chimpanzees, Terence Flotte, Jason Goetzmann, James Caridi, Joseph Paolillo, Thomas Conlon, Mark Potter, Christian Mueller, Barry Bryne

Christian Mueller

Hepatic gene transfer is envisioned as a substitute for protein replacement therapies, many of which are derived from blood products. Thus, the target populations may have a high prevalence of blood-borne pathogens, such as hepatitis C virus (HCV). We sought to determine whether the safety of recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype 2 (rAAV2) would be altered by preexisting HCV infection. Doses of approximately 1 x 10(13) vector genomes of an rAAV2-chimpanzee alpha(1)-antitrypsin (rAAV2-cAAT) vector were injected into the portal vein of each of three HCV genome-positive (HCV+) chimpanzees and three HCV-negative (HCV-) controls. Acute safety studies were performed up to 90 …


Clinical Gene Therapy Using Recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors, Christian Mueller, Terence Flotte Mar 2012

Clinical Gene Therapy Using Recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors, Christian Mueller, Terence Flotte

Christian Mueller

Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors possess a number of properties that may make them suitable for clinical gene therapy, including being based upon a virus for which there is no known pathology and a natural propensity to persist in human cells. Wild-type adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) are now known to be very diverse and ubiquitous in humans and nonhuman primates, which adds to the degree of confidence one may place in the natural history of AAV, namely that it has never been associated with any human tumors or other acute pathology, other than sporadic reports of having been isolated from spontaneously …


Partial Correction Of The Cftr-Dependent Abpa Mouse Model With Recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus Gene Transfer Of Truncated Cftr Gene, Christian Mueller, Daniel Torrez, Sofia Braag, Ashley Martino, Tracy Clarke, Martha Campbell-Thompson, Terence Flotte Mar 2012

Partial Correction Of The Cftr-Dependent Abpa Mouse Model With Recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus Gene Transfer Of Truncated Cftr Gene, Christian Mueller, Daniel Torrez, Sofia Braag, Ashley Martino, Tracy Clarke, Martha Campbell-Thompson, Terence Flotte

Christian Mueller

Recently, we have developed a model of airway inflammation in a CFTR knockout mouse utilizing Aspergillus fumigatus crude protein extract (Af-cpe) to mimic allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) 1, an unusual IgE-mediated hypersensitivity syndrome seen in up to 15% of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and rarely elsewhere. We hypothesized that replacement of CFTR via targeted gene delivery to airway epithelium would correct aberrant epithelial cytokine signaling and ameliorate the ABPA phenotype in CFTR-deficient (CFTR 489X - /-, FABP-hCFTR + / +) mice. CFTR knockout mice underwent intra-tracheal (IT) delivery of recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype 5 (rAAV5Delta-264CFTR) or rAAV5-GFP at 2.58 x …


In Vivo Post-Transcriptional Gene Silencing Of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin By Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors Expressing Sirna, Pedro Cruz, Christian Mueller, Travis Cossette, Alexandra Golant, Qiushi Tang, Stuart Beattie, Mark Brantly, Martha Campbell-Thompson, Keith Blomenkamp, Jeffrey Teckman, Terence Flotte Mar 2012

In Vivo Post-Transcriptional Gene Silencing Of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin By Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors Expressing Sirna, Pedro Cruz, Christian Mueller, Travis Cossette, Alexandra Golant, Qiushi Tang, Stuart Beattie, Mark Brantly, Martha Campbell-Thompson, Keith Blomenkamp, Jeffrey Teckman, Terence Flotte

Christian Mueller

alpha-1 Antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency is one of the most common genetic diseases in North America, with a carrier frequency of approximately 4% in the US population. Homozygosity for the most common mutation (Glu342Lys, PI(*)Z) leads to the synthesis of a mutant protein, which accumulates and polymerizes within hepatocytes rather than being efficiently secreted. This lack of secretion causes severe serum deficiency predisposing to chronic lung disease. Twelve to fifteen percent of patients with PI(*)ZZ also develop liver disease, which can be severe, even in infancy. This is thought to be due to toxic effects of the accumulated mutant Z-AAT within …


The Promise Of Gene Therapy For The Treatment Of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, Pedro Cruz, Christian Mueller, Terence Flotte Mar 2012

The Promise Of Gene Therapy For The Treatment Of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, Pedro Cruz, Christian Mueller, Terence Flotte

Christian Mueller

In the last 13 years, three gene therapy trials for the treatment of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency have been conducted. The first trial delivered plasmid encoding the alpha-1 antitrypsin cDNA to the nasal epithelium using cationic liposomes. The last two trials delivered recombinant adeno-associated vectors encoding the alpha-1 antitrypsin cDNA by intramuscular injection. In this review, the progress of ongoing clinical trials and new gene therapy technologies is discussed.


Modulation Of Exaggerated-Ige Allergic Responses By Gene Transfer-Mediated Antagonism Of Il-13 And Il-17e., Christian Mueller, Allison Keeler, Sofia Braag, Timothy Menz, Qiushi Tang, Terence Flotte Mar 2012

Modulation Of Exaggerated-Ige Allergic Responses By Gene Transfer-Mediated Antagonism Of Il-13 And Il-17e., Christian Mueller, Allison Keeler, Sofia Braag, Timothy Menz, Qiushi Tang, Terence Flotte

Christian Mueller

Asthma and allergic rhinitis are almost invariable accompanied by elevated levels of immunoglobin E (IgE), and more importantly a genetic link between IgE levels and airway hyper-responsiveness has been established. We hypothesized that expression of soluble receptors directed against interleukin (IL)-13 and IL-17e would prevent the cytokines from engaging the cell-bound receptors and therefore help to attenuate allergic responses in a Cftr(-/-)-dependent mouse model of exaggerated-IgE responses. Cftr(-/-) mice were injected with recombinant adeno-associated virus 1 (rAAV1) intramuscularly expressing soluble receptors to IL-17e (IL-17Rh1fc) or IL-13 (IL-13Ralpha2Fc). Total IgE levels, in mice receiving the IL-17Rh1fc and IL-13Ralpha2Fc therapy, were lower …


In Vitro And In Vivo Functional Characterization Of Gutless Recombinant Sv40-Derived Cftr Vectors, Christian Mueller, M. Strayer, Jeffrey Sirninger, Sofia Braag, Francisco Branco, Jean-Pierre Louboutin, Terence Flotte, David Strayer Mar 2012

In Vitro And In Vivo Functional Characterization Of Gutless Recombinant Sv40-Derived Cftr Vectors, Christian Mueller, M. Strayer, Jeffrey Sirninger, Sofia Braag, Francisco Branco, Jean-Pierre Louboutin, Terence Flotte, David Strayer

Christian Mueller

In cystic fibrosis (CF), respiratory failure caused by progressive airway obstruction and tissue damage is primarily a result of the aberrant inflammatory responses to lung infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Despite considerable improvement in patient survival, conventional therapies are mainly supportive. Recent progress toward gene therapy for CF has been encouraging; however, several factors such as immune response and transduced cell turnover remain as potential limitations to CF gene therapy. As alternative gene therapy vectors for CF, we examined the feasibility of using recombinant SV40-derived vectors (rSV40s), which may circumvent some of these obstacles. To accommodate the large cystic fibrosis transmembrane …


Dual Reporter Comparative Indexing Of Raav Pseudotyped Vectors In Chimpanzee Airway, Terence Flotte, Anne Fischer, Jason Goetzmann, Christian Mueller, Liudmila Cebotaru, Ziying Yan, Lilli Wang, James Wilson, William Guggino, John Engelhardt Mar 2012

Dual Reporter Comparative Indexing Of Raav Pseudotyped Vectors In Chimpanzee Airway, Terence Flotte, Anne Fischer, Jason Goetzmann, Christian Mueller, Liudmila Cebotaru, Ziying Yan, Lilli Wang, James Wilson, William Guggino, John Engelhardt

Christian Mueller

Selecting the most efficient recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) serotype for airway gene therapy has been difficult due to cross-specific differences in tropism and immune response between humans and animal models. Chimpanzees--the closest surviving genetic relative of humans--provide a valuable opportunity to select the most effective serotypes for clinical trials in humans. However, designing informative experiments using this protected species is challenging due to limited availability and experimental regulations. We have developed a method using Renilla luciferase (RL) and firefly luciferase (FL) reporters to directly index the relative transduction and immune response of two promising rAAV serotypes following lung coinfection. Analysis …


Gene Therapy For Cystic Fibrosis, Christian Mueller, Terence Flotte Mar 2012

Gene Therapy For Cystic Fibrosis, Christian Mueller, Terence Flotte

Christian Mueller

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disorder due to mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene that lead to defective ion transport in the conducting pulmonary airways and exocrine glands. Through a process that is not fully understood, CFTR defects predispose affected patients to chronic endobronchial infections with organisms such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Following the discovery of the CFTR gene in 1989, CF became one of the primary targets for gene therapy research. Early enthusiasm surrounded the new field of gene therapy during most of the 1990s and it led academics and clinicians on …


Recombinant Aav Serotype And Capsid Mutant Comparison For Pulmonary Gene Transfer Of Alpha-1-Antitrypsin Using Invasive And Noninvasive Delivery, Rejean Liqun Wang, Thomas Mclaughlin, Travis Cossette, Qiushi Tang, Kevin Foust, Martha Campbell-Thompson, Ashley Martino, Pedro Cruz, Scott Loiler, Christian Mueller, Terence Flotte Mar 2012

Recombinant Aav Serotype And Capsid Mutant Comparison For Pulmonary Gene Transfer Of Alpha-1-Antitrypsin Using Invasive And Noninvasive Delivery, Rejean Liqun Wang, Thomas Mclaughlin, Travis Cossette, Qiushi Tang, Kevin Foust, Martha Campbell-Thompson, Ashley Martino, Pedro Cruz, Scott Loiler, Christian Mueller, Terence Flotte

Christian Mueller

Recombinant adeno-associated viral (rAAV) vectors have been widely used in pulmonary gene therapy research. In this study, we evaluated the transduction and expression efficiencies of several AAV serotypes and AAV2 capsid mutants with specific pulmonary targeting ligands in the mouse lung. The noninvasive intranasal delivery was compared with the traditional intratracheal lung delivery. The rAAV8 was the most efficient serotype at expressing alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) in the lung among all the tested serotypes and mutants. A dose of 1 x 10(10) vg of rAAV8-CB-AAT transduced a high percentage of cells in the lung when delivered intratrachealy. The serum and the broncho-alveolar …