Nature Communications (Feb 2024)

AAV-delivered muscone-induced transgene system for treating chronic diseases in mice via inhalation

  • Xin Wu,
  • Yuanhuan Yu,
  • Meiyan Wang,
  • Di Dai,
  • Jianli Yin,
  • Wenjing Liu,
  • Deqiang Kong,
  • Shasha Tang,
  • Meiyao Meng,
  • Tian Gao,
  • Yuanjin Zhang,
  • Yang Zhou,
  • Ningzi Guan,
  • Shangang Zhao,
  • Haifeng Ye

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-45383-z
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15, no. 1
pp. 1 – 16

Abstract

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Abstract Gene therapies provide treatment options for many diseases, but the safe and long-term control of therapeutic transgene expression remains a primary issue for clinical applications. Here, we develop a muscone-induced transgene system packaged into adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors (AAVMUSE) based on a G protein-coupled murine olfactory receptor (MOR215-1) and a synthetic cAMP-responsive promoter (PCRE). Upon exposure to the trigger, muscone binds to MOR215-1 and activates the cAMP signaling pathway to initiate transgene expression. AAVMUSE enables remote, muscone dose- and exposure-time-dependent control of luciferase expression in the livers or lungs of mice for at least 20 weeks. Moreover, we apply this AAVMUSE to treat two chronic inflammatory diseases: nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and allergic asthma, showing that inhalation of muscone—after only one injection of AAVMUSE—can achieve long-term controllable expression of therapeutic proteins (ΔhFGF21 or ΔmIL-4). Our odorant-molecule-controlled system can advance gene-based precision therapies for human diseases.