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Gene therapy restores mitochondrial function and protects retinal ganglion cells in optic neuropathy induced by a mito-targeted mutant ND1 gene

Gene Therapy volume 29, pages 368–378 (2022)Cite this article

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Abstract

Therapies for genetic disorders caused by mutated mitochondrial DNA are an unmet need, in large part due barriers in delivering DNA to the organelle and the absence of relevant animal models. We injected into mouse eyes a mitochondrially targeted Adeno-Associated-Virus (MTS-AAV) to deliver the mutant human NADH ubiquinone oxidoreductase subunit I (hND1/m.3460 G > A) responsible for Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy, the most common primary mitochondrial genetic disease. We show that the expression of the mutant hND1 delivered to retinal ganglion cells (RGC) layer colocalizes with the mitochondrial marker PORIN and the assembly of the expressed hND1 protein into host respiration complex I. The hND1-injected eyes exhibit hallmarks of the human disease with progressive loss of RGC function and number, as well as optic nerve degeneration. We also show that gene therapy in the hND1 eyes by means of an injection of a second MTS-AAV vector carrying wild-type human ND1 restores mitochondrial respiratory complex I activity, the rate of ATP synthesis and protects RGCs and their axons from dysfunction and degeneration. These results prove that MTS-AAV is a highly efficient gene delivery approach with the ability to create mito-animal models and has the therapeutic potential to treat mitochondrial genetic diseases.

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Fig. 1: Delivery and expression of hND1/m.3460 G > A in mouse retinal ganglion cells (RGC).
Fig. 2: Delivered hND1/m.3460 G > A induces retinal degeneration.
Fig. 3: Vision loss induced by hND1/m.3460 G > A is rescued by gene therapy allele.
Fig. 4: hND1/m.3460 G > A causes loss of axons and RGCs.

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All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article and its supplementary information files.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the defining contributions of John Guy, MD (deceased), who invented mito-targeting AAV, designed and performed the research. His tireless efforts made this study possible. We also thank Dr. Marco Ruggeri and the Ophthalmic Biophysics Center of the University of Miami for providing OCT analysis techniques; Dr. Alfred S. Lewin and Mr. Vince A. Chiodo at the University of Florida for the MTSAAV package. The authors declare no competing interests. This study is supported by the National Eye Institute R01 EY 027414, R01 EY017141, R24 EY028785, P30 EY014801 Bascom Palmer Eye Institute Core Grant, and institutional support from the Retina Research Foundation (GR015009). R.K. Lee was partially supported by the Walter G. Ross Foundation, the Camiener Foundation Glaucoma Research Fund, and the Guiterrez Family Research Fund.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA

    Yuan Liu, Jeremy D. Eastwood, Diego E. Alba, Sindhu Velmurugan, Vittorio Porciatti, Richard K. Lee, John Guy & Hong Yu

  2. Department of Biostatistics, Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA

    Ning Sun

  3. Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    William W. Hauswirth

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  1. Yuan Liu
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Contributions

JG and HY designed research; YL, JDE, DEA, SV, JG, and HY performed research; WWH contributed to new reagents/analytic tools; YL, NS, VP, RKL, and HY analyzed data; and VP, RKL, and HY wrote the paper.

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Correspondence to Richard K. Lee or Hong Yu.

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Liu, Y., Eastwood, J.D., Alba, D.E. et al. Gene therapy restores mitochondrial function and protects retinal ganglion cells in optic neuropathy induced by a mito-targeted mutant ND1 gene. Gene Ther 29, 368–378 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41434-022-00333-6

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