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Lentiviral vectors express chondroitinase ABC in cortical projections and promote sprouting of injured corticospinal axons.

ABSTRACT: Several diseases and injuries of the central nervous system could potentially be treated by delivery of an enzyme, which might most effectively be achieved by gene therapy. In particular, the bacterial enzyme chondroitinase ABC is beneficial in animal models of spinal cord injury. We have adapted the chondroitinase gene so that it can direct secretion of active chondroitinase from mammalian cells, and inserted it into lentiviral vectors. When injected into adult rat brain, these vectors lead to extensive secretion of chondroitinase, both locally and from long-distance axon projections, with activity persisting for more than 4 weeks. In animals which received a simultaneous lesion of the corticospinal tract, the vector reduced axonal die-back and promoted sprouting and short-range regeneration of corticospinal axons. The same beneficial effects on damaged corticospinal axons were observed in animals which received the chondroitinase lentiviral vector directly into the vicinity of a spinal cord lesion.

SUBMITTER: Zhao RR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3235548 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Lentiviral vectors express chondroitinase ABC in cortical projections and promote sprouting of injured corticospinal axons.

Zhao Rong-Rong RR Muir Elizabeth M EM Alves João Nuno JN Rickman Hannah H Rickman Hannah H Allan Anna Y AY Kwok Jessica C JC Roet Kasper C D KC Verhaagen Joost J Schneider Bernard L BL Bensadoun Jean-Charles JC Ahmed Sherif G SG Yáñez-Muñoz Rafael J RJ Keynes Roger J RJ Fawcett James W JW Rogers John H JH

Journal of neuroscience methods 20110809 1

Several diseases and injuries of the central nervous system could potentially be treated by delivery of an enzyme, which might most effectively be achieved by gene therapy. In particular, the bacterial enzyme chondroitinase ABC is beneficial in animal models of spinal cord injury. We have adapted the chondroitinase gene so that it can direct secretion of active chondroitinase from mammalian cells, and inserted it into lentiviral vectors. When injected into adult rat brain, these vectors lead to ...[more]

PMID: 21855577

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Project description:BackgroundThere is currently no effective treatment for promoting regeneration of injured nerves in patients who have sustained injury to the central nervous system such as spinal cord injury. Chondroitinase ABC is an enzyme, which promotes neurite outgrowth and regeneration. It has shown considerable promise as a therapy for these conditions. The aim of the study is to determine if targeting chondroitinase ABC expression to the neuronal axon can further enhance its ability to promote axon outgrowth. Long-distance axon regeneration has not yet been achieved, and would be a significant step in attaining functional recovery following spinal cord injury.Methodology/principal findingsTo investigate this, neuronal cultures were transfected with constructs encoding axon-targeted chondroitinase, non-targeted chondroitinase or GFP, and the effects on neuron outgrowth and sprouting determined on substrates either permissive or inhibitory to neuron regeneration. The mechanisms underlying the observed effects were also explored. Targeting chondroitinase to the neuronal axon markedly enhances its ability to promote neurite outgrowth. The increase in neurite length is associated with an upregulation of β-integrin staining at the axonal cell surface. Staining for phosphofocal adhesion kinase, is also increased, indicating that the β-integrins are in an activated state. Expression of chondroitinase within the neurons also resulted in a decrease in expression of PTEN and RhoA, molecules which present a block to neurite outgrowth, thus identifying two of the pathways by which ChABC promotes neurite outgrowth.Conclusions / significanceThe novel finding that targeting ChABC to the axon significantly enhances its ability to promote neurite extension, suggests that this may be an effective way of promoting long-distance axon regeneration following spinal cord injury. It could also potentially improve its efficacy in the treatment of other pathologies, where it has been shown to promote recovery, such as myocardial infarction, stroke and Parkinson's disease.

Dataset Information

Lentiviral vectors express chondroitinase ABC in cortical projections and promote sprouting of injured corticospinal axons.

Publications

Lentiviral vectors express chondroitinase ABC in cortical projections and promote sprouting of injured corticospinal axons.

Similar Datasets

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