Cited by 16Retinal Diseases and TreatmentsRetinal Development and DisordersVirus-based gene therapy research

Subretinal Rather Than Intravitreal Adeno-Associated Virus-Mediated Delivery of a Complement Alternative Pathway Inhibitor Is Effective in a Mouse Model of RPE Damage

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Annamalai, Balasubramaniam, Parsons, Nathaniel, Nicholson, Crystal, Obert, Elisabeth, Jones, Bryan, Rohrer, Bärbel·2021·Investigative Opthalmology & Visual Science

Abstract

Purpose: The risk for age-related macular degeneration has been tied to an overactive complement system. Despite combined attempts by academia and industry to develop therapeutics that modulate the complement response, particularly in the late geographic atrophy form of advanced AMD, to date, there is no effective treatment. We have previously demonstrated that pathology in the smoke-induced ocular pathology (SIOP) model, a model with similarities to dry AMD, is dependent on activation of the alternative complement pathway and that a novel complement activation site targeted inhibitor of the alternative pathway can be delivered to ocular tissues via an adeno-associated virus (AAV). Methods: Two different viral vectors for specific tissue targeting were compared: AAV5-VMD2-CR2-fH for delivery to the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and AAV2YF-smCBA-CR2-fH for delivery to retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Efficacy was tested in SIOP (6 months of passive smoke inhalation), assessing visual function (optokinetic responses), retinal structure (optical coherence tomography), and integrity of the RPE and Bruch's membrane (electron microscopy). Protein chemistry was used to assess complement activation, CR2-fH tissue distribution, and CR2-fH transport across the RPE. Results: RPE- but not RGC-mediated secretion of CR2-fH was found to reduce SIOP and complement activation in RPE/choroid. Bioavailability of CR2-fH in RPE/choroid could be confirmed only after AAV5-VMD2-CR2-fH treatment, and inefficient, adenosine triphosphate-dependent transport of CR2-fH across the RPE was identified. Conclusions: Our results suggest that complement inhibition for AMD-like pathology is required basal to the RPE and argues in favor of AAV vector delivery to the RPE or outside the blood-retina barrier.

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  1. [46]46. Thurman JM, Renner B, Kunchithapautham K, et al. Oxidative stress renders retinal pigment epithelial cells susceptible to complement-mediated injury. J Biol Chem. 2009; 284: 16939– 16947. 19386604 10.1074/jbc.M808166200 PMC2719331 · DOI
  2. [72]72. Dugel PU. Clinical trial download: data on a gene therapy for dry and wet AMD. Retinal Physician. 2020; 17: 16– 17.

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Authors
Annamalai, B., Parsons, N., Nicholson, C., Obert, E., Jones, B., & Rohrer, B.
Affiliations
  • Medical University of South Carolina (US)
  • University of Utah (US)
Corresponding author
Rohrer, Bärbel
Venue
Investigative Opthalmology & Visual Science
Published
2021-04-08
Volume
62
Issue
4
Pages
11
ISSN
  • 0146-0404 (ISSN-L)
  • 1552-5783
OpenAlex
W3149270267
Cited by
16
References
85
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 4
FWCI
2.02
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (I01 BX003050, I01 RX000444, IK6 BX004858)
  • National Eye Institute (R01EY030072, R01EY024581, R01EY015128, R01EY028927, P30EY014800)
  • National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (T32DC014435)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Ophthalmology › Retinal Diseases and Treatments
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Retinal Development and Disorders
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Virus-based gene therapy research
Keywords
age-related macular degeneration, alternative complement pathway, adeno-associated virus vectors, subretinal gene delivery, retinal pigment epithelium, retinal ganglion cells, complement inhibition, dry age-related macular degeneration, Bruch's membrane, blood-retinal barrier, optokinetic response
MeSH terms
Animals, Choroid, Complement Activation, Disease Models, Animal, Macular Degeneration, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Retina, Tomography, Optical Coherence, Complement Inactivating Agents, Mice, Retinal Pigment Epithelium, Intravitreal Injections

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