Gene therapy rescues cone function in congenital achromatopsia.
The successful restoration of visual function with recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV)-mediated gene replacement therapy in animals and humans with an inherited disease of the retinal pigment epithelium has ushered in a new era of retinal therapeutics. For many retinal disorders, however, targeting of therapeutic vectors to mutant rods and/or cones will be required. In this study, the primary cone photoreceptor disorder achromatopsia served as the ideal translational model to develop gene therapy directed to cone photoreceptors. We demonstrate that rAAV-mediated gene replacement therapy with different forms of the human red cone opsin promoter led to the restoration of cone function and day vision in two canine models of CNGB3 achromatopsia, a neuronal channelopathy that is the most common form of achromatopsia in man. The robustness and stability of the observed treatment effect was mutation independent, but promoter and age dependent. Subretinal administration of rAAV5-hCNGB3 with a long version of the red cone opsin promoter in younger animals led to a stable therapeutic effect for at least 33 months. Our results hold promise for future clinical trials of cone-directed gene therapy in achromatopsia and other cone-specific disorders.
Komáromy
András M
AM
Department of Clinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. komaromy@vet.upenn.edu
Alexander
John J
JJ
Rowlan
Jessica S
JS
Garcia
Monique M
MM
Chiodo
Vince A
VA
Kaya
Asli
A
Tanaka
Jacqueline C
JC
Acland
Gregory M
GM
Hauswirth
William W
WW
Aguirre
Gustavo D
GD
D000818:Animals; D003117:Color Vision Defects / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy*; D055358:Cone Opsins / Q000235:genetics; D054815:Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Cation Channels / Q000235:genetics*; D000229:Dependovirus / Q000235:genetics; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D017949:Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D019076:Transgenes
C415904:CNGB3 protein, human; D055358:Cone Opsins; D054815:Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Cation Channels