Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Non-Invasive Detection Of Adeno-Associated Viral Gene Transfer Using A Genetically Encoded Cest-Mri Reporter Gene In The Murine Heart, Shelby Meier, Assaf A. Gilad, Jason Anthony Brandon, Chenghao Qian, Erhe Gao, Jose F. Abisambra, Moriel Vandsburger

Physiology Faculty Publications

Research into gene therapy for heart failure has gained renewed interest as a result of improved safety and availability of adeno-associated viral vectors (AAV). While magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is standard for functional assessment of gene therapy outcomes, quantitation of gene transfer/expression relies upon tissue biopsy, fluorescence or nuclear imaging. Imaging of gene expression through the use of genetically encoded chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST)-MRI reporter genes could be combined with clinical cardiac MRI methods to comprehensively probe therapeutic gene expression and subsequent outcomes. The CEST-MRI reporter gene Lysine Rich Protein (LRP) was cloned into an AAV9 vector and either …