[HTML][HTML] Suppression of mutant protein expression in SCA3 and SCA1 mice using a CAG repeat-targeting antisense oligonucleotide

E Kourkouta, R Weij, A González-Barriga… - … Therapy-Nucleic Acids, 2019 - cell.com
E Kourkouta, R Weij, A González-Barriga, M Mulder, R Verheul, S Bosgra, B Groenendaal…
Molecular Therapy-Nucleic Acids, 2019cell.com
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) and type 1 (SCA1) are dominantly inherited
neurodegenerative disorders that are currently incurable. Both diseases are caused by a
CAG-repeat expansion in exon 10 of the Ataxin-3 and exon 8 of the Ataxin-1 gene,
respectively, encoding an elongated polyglutamine tract that confers toxic properties to the
resulting proteins. We have previously shown lowering of the pathogenic polyglutamine
protein in Huntington's disease mouse models using (CUG) 7, a CAG repeat-targeting …
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) and type 1 (SCA1) are dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorders that are currently incurable. Both diseases are caused by a CAG-repeat expansion in exon 10 of the Ataxin-3 and exon 8 of the Ataxin-1 gene, respectively, encoding an elongated polyglutamine tract that confers toxic properties to the resulting proteins. We have previously shown lowering of the pathogenic polyglutamine protein in Huntington's disease mouse models using (CUG)7, a CAG repeat-targeting antisense oligonucleotide. Here we evaluated the therapeutic capacity of (CUG)7 for SCA3 and SCA1, in vitro in patient-derived cell lines and in vivo in representative mouse models. Repeated intracerebroventricular (CUG)7 administration resulted in a significant reduction of mutant Ataxin-3 and Ataxin-1 proteins throughout the brain of SCA3 and SCA1 mouse models, respectively. Furthermore, in both a SCA3 patient cell line and the MJD84.2 mouse model, (CUG)7 induced formation of a truncated Ataxin-3 protein species lacking the polyglutamine stretch, likely arising from (CUG)7-mediated exon 10 skipping. In contrast, skipping of exon 8 of Ataxin-1 did not significantly contribute to the Ataxin-1 protein reduction observed in (CUG)7-treated SCA1154Q/2Q mice. These findings support the therapeutic potential of a single CAG repeat-targeting AON for the treatment of multiple polyglutamine disorders.
cell.com