scholarly journals A novel gene therapy for neurodegenerative Lafora disease via EPM2A-loaded DLinDMA lipoplexes

Nanomedicine ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hari Priya Vemana ◽  
Aishwarya Saraswat ◽  
Shraddha Bhutkar ◽  
Ketan Patel ◽  
Vikas V Dukhande

Aim: To develop novel cationic liposomes as a nonviral gene delivery vector for the treatment of rare diseases, such as Lafora disease – a neurodegenerative epilepsy. Materials & methods: DLinDMA and DOTAP liposomes were formulated and characterized for the delivery of gene encoding laforin and expression of functional protein in HEK293 and neuroblastoma cells. Results: Liposomes with cationic lipids DLinDMA and DOTAP showed good physicochemical characteristics. Nanosized DLinDMA liposomes demonstrated desired transfection efficiency, negligible hemolysis and minimal cytotoxicity. Western blotting confirmed successful expression and glucan phosphatase assay demonstrated the biological activity of laforin. Conclusion: Our study is a novel preclinical effort in formulating cationic lipoplexes containing plasmid DNA for the therapy of rare genetic diseases such as Lafora disease.

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 820
Author(s):  
Lorena Kumarasinghe ◽  
Lu Xiong ◽  
Maria Adelaida Garcia-Gimeno ◽  
Elisa Lazzari ◽  
Pascual Sanz ◽  
...  

Tripartite motif (TRIM) proteins are RING E3 ubiquitin ligases defined by a shared domain structure. Several of them are implicated in rare genetic diseases, and mutations in TRIM32 and TRIM-like malin are associated with Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy R8 and Lafora disease, respectively. These two proteins are evolutionary related, share a common ancestor, and both display NHL repeats at their C-terminus. Here, we revmniew the function of these two related E3 ubiquitin ligases discussing their intrinsic and possible common pathophysiological pathways.


COSMOS ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (01) ◽  
pp. 25-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
AMELIA LI MIN TAN ◽  
ALISA XUE LING LIM ◽  
YITING ZHU ◽  
YI YAN YANG ◽  
MAJAD KHAN

Advances in medical research have shed light on the genetic cause of many human diseases. Gene therapy is a promising approach which can be used to deliver therapeutic genes to treat genetic diseases at its most fundamental level. In general, nonviral vectors are preferred due to reduced risk of immune response, but they are also commonly associated with low transfection efficiency and high cytotoxicity. In contrast to viral vectors, nonviral vectors do not have a natural mechanism to overcome extra- and intracellular barriers when delivering the therapeutic gene into cell. Hence, its design has been increasingly complex to meet challenges faced in targeting of, penetration of and expression in a specific host cell in achieving more satisfactory transfection efficiency. Flexibility in design of the vector is desirable, to enable a careful and controlled manipulation of its properties and functions. This can be met by the use of bolaamphiphile, a special class of lipid. Unlike conventional lipids, bolaamphiphiles can form asymmetric complexes with the therapeutic gene. The advantage of having an asymmetric complex lies in the different purposes served by the interior and exterior of the complex. More effective gene encapsulation within the interior of the complex can be achieved without triggering greater aggregation of serum proteins with the exterior, potentially overcoming one of the great hurdles faced by conventional single-head cationic lipids. In this review, we will look into the physiochemical considerations as well as the biological aspects of a bolaamphiphile-based gene delivery system.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (8) ◽  
pp. 698-710
Author(s):  
Roya Cheraghi ◽  
Mahboobeh Nazari ◽  
Mohsen Alipour ◽  
Saman Hosseinkhani

Gene-based therapy largely relies on the vector type that allows a selective and efficient transfection into the target cells with maximum efficacy and minimal toxicity. Although, genes delivered utilizing modified viruses transfect efficiently and precisely, these vectors can cause severe immunological responses and are potentially carcinogenic. A promising method of overcoming this limitation is the use of non-viral vectors, including cationic lipids, polymers, dendrimers, and peptides, which offer potential routes for compacting DNA for targeted delivery. Although non-viral vectors exhibit reduced transfection efficiency compared to their viral counterpart, their superior biocompatibility, non-immunogenicity and potential for large-scale production make them increasingly attractive for modern therapy. There has been a great deal of interest in the development of biomimetic chimeric peptides. Biomimetic chimeric peptides contain different motifs for gene translocation into the nucleus of the desired cells. They have motifs for gene targeting into the desired cell, condense DNA into nanosize particles, translocate the gene into the nucleus and enhance the release of the particle into the cytoplasm. These carriers were developed in recent years. This review highlights the stepwise development of the biomimetic chimeric peptides currently being used in gene delivery.


Author(s):  
Michał Nowicki ◽  
Stanisława Bazan-Socha ◽  
Mariusz Kłopotowski ◽  
Beata Błażejewska-Hyżorek ◽  
Mariusz Kusztal ◽  
...  

Current therapy for Anderson–Fabry disease in Poland includes hospital or clinic-based intravenous enzyme replacement therapy with recombinant agalsidase alpha or beta, or oral pharmacological chaperone therapy with migalastat. Some countries around the world offer such treatment to patients in the comfort of their own homes. The 2020–2021 COVID-19 pandemic has pushed global healthcare providers to evolve their services so as to minimize the risk of COVID-19 exposure to both patients and providers; this has led to advances in telemedicine services and the increasing availability of at-home treatment for various procedures including parenteral drug administration. A total of 80% of surveyed Anderson–Fabry disease patients in Poland would prefer home-based treatment, which would be a safe and convenient alternative to clinic-based treatment if patient selection is based on our proposed algorithm. Our recommendations for home-based treatments appear feasible for the long term care of Anderson–Fabry disease patients during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. This may also serve as a basis for home-based treatment programs in other rare and ultra-rare genetic diseases.


2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 197-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Makrythanasis ◽  
S.E. Antonarakis

Author(s):  
Alex Moretti ◽  
Paola Cianci ◽  
Anita De Paoli ◽  
Francesca Meroni ◽  
Silvia Tajè ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Koromina ◽  
Vasileios Fanaras ◽  
Gareth Baynam ◽  
Christina Mitropoulou ◽  
George P Patrinos

Rapid advances in next-generation sequencing technology, particularly whole exome sequencing and whole genome sequencing, have greatly affected our understanding of genetic variation underlying rare genetic diseases. Herein, we describe ethical principles of guiding consent and sharing of genomics research data. We also discuss ethical dilemmas in rare diseases research and patient recruitment policies and address bioethical and societal aspects influencing the ethical framework for genetic testing. Moreover, we focus on addressing ethical issues surrounding research in low- and middle-income countries. Overall, this perspective aims to address key aspects and issues for building proper ethical frameworks, when conducting research involving genomics data with a particular emphasis on rare diseases and genetics testing.


Pharmaceutics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1281
Author(s):  
Shan Guan ◽  
Max Darmstädter ◽  
Chuanfei Xu ◽  
Joseph Rosenecker

In vitro-transcribed (IVT) mRNA has come into focus in recent years as a potential therapeutic approach for the treatment of genetic diseases. The nebulized formulations of IVT-mRNA-encoding alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1AT-mRNA) would be a highly acceptable and tolerable remedy for the protein replacement therapy for alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency in the future. Here we show that lipoplexes containing A1AT-mRNA prepared in optimum conditions could successfully transfect human bronchial epithelial cells without significant toxicity. A reduction in transfection efficiency was observed for aerosolized lipoplexes that can be partially overcome by increasing the initial number of components. A1AT produced from cells transfected by nebulized A1AT-mRNA lipoplexes is functional and could successfully inhibit the enzyme activity of trypsin as well as elastase. Our data indicate that aerosolization of A1AT-mRNA therapy constitutes a potentially powerful means to transfect airway epithelial cells with the purpose of producing functional A1AT, while bringing along the unique advantages of IVT-mRNA.


Author(s):  
A. A. Mikheev ◽  
E. V. Shmendel ◽  
E. S. Zhestovskaya ◽  
G. V. Nazarov ◽  
M. A. Maslov

Objectives. Gene therapy is based on the introduction of genetic material into cells, tissues, or organs for the treatment of hereditary or acquired diseases. A key factor in the success of gene therapy is the development of delivery systems that can efficiently transfer genetic material to the place of their therapeutic action without causing any associated side effects. Over the past 10 years, significant effort has been directed toward creating more efficient and biocompatible vectors capable of transferring nucleic acids (NAs) into cells without inducing an immune response. Cationic liposomes are among the most versatile tools for delivering NAs into cells; however, the use of liposomes for gene therapy is limited by their low specificity. This is due to the presence of various biological barriers to the complex of liposomes with NA, including instability in biological fluids, interaction with serum proteins, plasma and nuclear membranes, and endosomal degradation. This review summarizes the results of research in recent years on the development of cationic liposomes that are effective in vitro and in vivo. Particular attention is paid to the individual structural elements of cationic liposomes that determine the transfection efficiency and cytotoxicity. The purpose of this review was to provide a theoretical justification of the most promising choice of cationic liposomes for the delivery of NAs into eukaryotic cells and study the effect of the composition of cationic lipids (CLs) on the transfection efficiency in vitro.Results. As a result of the analysis of the related literature, it can be argued that one of the most promising delivery systems of NAs is CL based on cholesterol and spermine with the addition of a helper lipid DOPE. In addition, it was found that varying the composition of cationic liposomes, the ratio of CL to NA, or the size and zeta potential of liposomes has a significant effect on the transfection efficiency.Conclusions. Further studies in this direction should include optimization of the conditions for obtaining cationic liposomes, taking into account the physicochemical properties and established laws. It is necessary to identify mechanisms that increase the efficiency of NA delivery in vitro by searching for optimal structures of cationic liposomes, determining the ratio of lipoplex components, and studying the delivery efficiency and properties of multicomponent liposomes.


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