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Intravenous gene therapy improves lifespan and clinical outcomes in feline Sandhoff Disease [preprint]

Maguire, Anne S
Ta, Linh
Gross, Amanda L
Osterhoudt, Devin E
Cannon, Jessica S
Hall, Paige I
Sandey, Maninder
Seyfried, Thomas N
Gray-Edwards, Heather L
Sena-Esteves, Miguel
... show 1 more
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Abstract

Sandhoff Disease (SD), a fatal neurodegenerative disorder, is caused by the absence of ß-hexosaminidase (Hex) and subsequent accumulation of GM2 ganglioside in lysosomes. Previous studies have led to adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy for children with GM2 gangliosidosis in both expanded access and Phase I/II clinical trials via intracranial and/or cerebrospinal fluid-based delivery. The current study investigated intravenous (IV) gene therapy of SD cats, treated at one month of age with a bicistronic AAV vector. While untreated SD cats lived to 4.3±0.2 months, cats treated with low and high doses lived to 8.3±1.2 and 12.4±2.7 months, respectively. In-life assessments revealed clear clinical benefit of AAV treatment, with the most dramatic improvement seen in the reduction of overt full-body tremors. Cerebrospinal fluid levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were decreased, indicating a reduction of cell damage within the central nervous system. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and spectroscopy (MRS) acquired on a 7 Tesla scanner indicated that structural pathology and metabolite abnormalities are partially normalized by AAV treatment. Dose-dependent reduction of GM2 ganglioside storage and increases in Hex activity were most substantial in the caudal regions of the brain and in the spinal cord. Immunohistochemistry revealed reduction in neuroinflammatory cell populations and partial correction of myelin deficits. These results support the dose-dependent efficacy of AAV delivered IV for significant restoration of clinical metrics and Hex function in a feline model of SD.

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Maguire AS, Ta L, Gross AL, Osterhoudt DE, Cannon JS, Hall PI, Sandey M, Seyfried TN, Gray-Edwards HL, Sena-Esteves M, Martin DR. Intravenous gene therapy improves lifespan and clinical outcomes in feline Sandhoff Disease. bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2024 Nov 18:2024.11.15.623838. doi: 10.1101/2024.11.15.623838. PMID: 39605340; PMCID: PMC11601349.

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10.1101/2024.11.15.623838
PubMed ID
39605340
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This article is a preprint. Preprints are preliminary reports of work that have not been certified by peer review.

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The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY 4.0 International license.Attribution 4.0 International