Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology (Nov 2021)

Pilot Study Assessing the Impact of Intrathecal Administration of Variants AAV-PHP.B and AAV-PHP.eB on Brain Transduction in Adult Rhesus Macaques

  • Marie-Laure Arotcarena,
  • Sandra Dovero,
  • Nathalie Biendon,
  • Nathalie Dutheil,
  • Vincent Planche,
  • Vincent Planche,
  • Erwan Bezard,
  • Benjamin Dehay

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2021.762209
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9

Abstract

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Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors are increasingly used as an effective and safe approach to deliver genetic material to the central nervous system (CNS). The AAV9-derived variants, AAV-PHP. B and AAV-PHP.eB, reportedly broadly transduce cells throughout the CNS compared to the original serotype 9, AAV9. As non-human primate data are scarce, we here evaluated the CNS transduction efficiencies after lumbar intrathecal bolus delivery of identical doses of either AAV-PHP. B:CAG-EGFP or AAV-PHP. eB:CAG-EGFP in rhesus macaque monkeys. AAV-PHP.eB achieved a more efficient and widespread CNS transduction compared to AAV-PHP.B. We report a strong neuronal and oligodendroglial tropism for both variants in the putamen and in the hippocampus. This proof-of-concept experiment highlights the potential value of intrathecal infusions of AAV-PHP.eB to distribute genetic material in the CNS with cell-type specificity and introduces a new opportunity to model brain diseases in rhesus macaque monkeys and further develop gene therapies targeting the CNS in humans.

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