Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Purpose
Adeno-associated virus serotype 2 (AAV2) has been shown to be effective in transducing inner retinal neurons after intravitreal injection in several species. However, results in nonprimates may not be predictive of transduction in the human inner retina, because of differences in eye size and the specialized morphology of the high-acuity human fovea. This was a study of inner retina transduction in the macaque, a primate with ocular characteristics most similar to that of humans.Methods
In vivo imaging and histology were used to examine GFP expression in the macaque inner retina after intravitreal injection of AAV vectors containing five distinct promoters.Results
AAV2 produced pronounced GFP expression in inner retinal cells of the fovea, no expression in the central retina beyond the fovea, and variable expression in the peripheral retina. AAV2 vector incorporating the neuronal promoter human connexin 36 (hCx36) transduced ganglion cells within a dense annulus around the fovea center, whereas AAV2 containing the ubiquitous promoter hybrid cytomegalovirus (CMV) enhancer/chicken-?-actin (CBA) transduced both Müller and ganglion cells in a dense circular disc centered on the fovea. With three shorter promoters--human synapsin (hSYN) and the shortened CBA and hCx36 promoters (smCBA and hCx36sh)--AAV2 produced visible transduction, as seen in fundus images, only when the retina was altered by ganglion cell loss or enzymatic vitreolysis.Conclusions
The results in the macaque suggest that intravitreal injection of AAV2 would produce high levels of gene expression at the human fovea, important in retinal gene therapy, but not in the central retina beyond the fovea.
SUBMITTER: Yin L
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3088562 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Apr
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Yin Lu L Greenberg Kenneth K Hunter Jennifer J JJ Dalkara Deniz D Kolstad Kathleen D KD Masella Benjamin D BD Wolfe Robert R Visel Meike M Stone Daniel D Libby Richard T RT Diloreto David D Schaffer David D Flannery John J Williams David R DR Merigan William H WH
Investigative ophthalmology & visual science 20110425 5
<h4>Purpose</h4>Adeno-associated virus serotype 2 (AAV2) has been shown to be effective in transducing inner retinal neurons after intravitreal injection in several species. However, results in nonprimates may not be predictive of transduction in the human inner retina, because of differences in eye size and the specialized morphology of the high-acuity human fovea. This was a study of inner retina transduction in the macaque, a primate with ocular characteristics most similar to that of humans. ...[more]