title: Partial correction of sensitivity to oxidant stress in Friedreich ataxia patient fibroblasts by frataxin-encoding adeno-associated virus and lentivirus vectors.
abstract: Peripheral nervous system (PNS) sensory neurons are directly involved in the pathophysiology of a number of debilitating inherited and acquired neurological conditions. The lack of effective treatments for many such conditions provides a strong rationale for exploring novel therapeutic approaches, including gene therapy. Friedreich ataxia (FRDA), a sensory neuropathy, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease associated with a loss of large sensory neurons from the dorsal root ganglia. Because a mouse model for this well-characterized disease has been generated, we elected to use FRDA as a model disease. In previous studies we achieved efficient and sustained delivery of a reporter gene to PNS sensory neurons, using recombinant adeno-associated viral (AAV) and lentiviral (LV) vectors. In the current study, AAV and LV vectors encoding the human frataxin cDNA were constructed and assessed for frataxin expression and function in primary FRDA patient fibroblast cell lines. FRDA fibroblasts have been shown to exhibit subtle biochemical changes, including increased mitochondrial iron and sensitivity to oxidant stress. Despite the inherent difficulty in working with primary cells, transduction of patient fibroblasts with either vector resulted in the expression of appropriately localized frataxin and partial reversal of phenotype.
authors.affiliation: Gene Therapy Research Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead and Children's Medical Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.forename: Afroditi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spinoulas
authors.forename: Maolin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Sharon C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: Samantha L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Ginn
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: McQuilty
authors.forename: Peter B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Rowe
authors.forename: Ian E
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Alexander
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000502:physiology; D005347:Fibroblasts; D005621:Friedreich Ataxia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis; D033862:Iron-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016086:Lentivirus / Q000235:genetics; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000737:chemistry; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010641:Phenotype; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000096923:Frataxin
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D007501:Iron; D033862:Iron-Binding Proteins; D000096923:Frataxin