title: Reengineering a receptor footprint of adeno-associated virus enables selective and systemic gene transfer to muscle.
abstract: Reengineering the receptor footprints of adeno-associated virus (AAV) isolates may yield variants with improved properties for clinical applications. We generated a panel of synthetic AAV2 vectors by replacing a hexapeptide sequence in a previously identified heparan sulfate receptor footprint with corresponding residues from other AAV strains. This approach yielded several chimeric capsids displaying systemic tropism after intravenous administration in mice. Of particular interest, an AAV2/AAV8 chimera designated AAV2i8 displayed an altered antigenic profile, readily traversed the blood vasculature, and selectively transduced cardiac and whole-body skeletal muscle tissues with high efficiency. Unlike other AAV serotypes, which are preferentially sequestered in the liver, AAV2i8 showed markedly reduced hepatic tropism. These features of AAV2i8 suggest that it is well suited to translational studies in gene therapy of musculoskeletal disorders.
authors.affiliation: Gene Therapy Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA. aravind_asokan@med.unc.edu
authors.forename: Aravind
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Asokan
authors.forename: Julia C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Conway
authors.forename: Jana L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: Chengwen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hegge
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sinnott
authors.forename: Swati
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yadav
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: DiPrimio
authors.forename: Hyun-Joo
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Mavis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Agbandje-McKenna
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McPhee
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wolff
authors.forename: R Jude
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Samulski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000229:Dependovirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000097:blood; D051379:Mice; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009132:Muscles / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011991:Receptors, Virus / Q000235:genetics*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D056189:Viral Tropism
chemical_list: D011991:Receptors, Virus