scholarly journals Molecular Strategies for RPGR Gene Therapy

Genes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 674 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cehajic Kapetanovic ◽  
McClements ◽  
Martinez-Fernandez de la Camara ◽  
MacLaren
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Retinitis Pigmentosa ◽  
Genomic Sequence ◽  
Retinal Disease ◽  
Gene Replacement ◽  
Current Phase ◽  
Rapid Progression ◽  
Post Translational Modification ◽  
Gene Replacement Therapy ◽  
Optimal Function

Mutations affecting the Retinitis Pigmentosa GTPase Regulator (RPGR) gene are the commonest cause of X-linked and recessive retinitis pigmentosa (RP), accounting for 10%–20% of all cases of RP. The phenotype is one of the most severe amongst all causes of RP, characteristic for its early onset and rapid progression to blindness in young people. At present there is no cure for RPGR-related retinal disease. Recently, however, there have been important advances in RPGR research from bench to bedside that increased our understanding of RPGR function and led to the development of potential therapies, including the progress of adeno-associated viral (AAV)-mediated gene replacement therapy into clinical trials. This manuscript discusses the advances in molecular research, which have connected the RPGR protein with an important post-translational modification, known as glutamylation, that is essential for its optimal function as a key regulator of photoreceptor ciliary transport. In addition, we review key pre-clinical research that addressed challenges encountered during development of therapeutic vectors caused by high infidelity of the RPGR genomic sequence. Finally, we discuss the structure of three current phase I/II clinical trials based on three AAV vectors and RPGR sequences and link the rationale behind the use of the different vectors back to the bench research that led to their development.

scholarly journals Long-term rescue of cone photoreceptor degeneration in retinitis pigmentosa 2 (RP2)-knockout mice by gene replacement therapy

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (22) ◽  
pp. 6446-6458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suddhasil Mookherjee ◽  
Suja Hiriyanna ◽  
Kayleigh Kaneshiro ◽  
Linjing Li ◽  
Yichao Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Retinitis Pigmentosa ◽  
Replacement Therapy ◽  
Knockout Mice ◽  
Gene Replacement ◽  
Cone Photoreceptor ◽  
Photoreceptor Degeneration ◽  
Gene Replacement Therapy

scholarly journals Retinitis pigmentosa is associated with shifts in the gut microbiome

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oksana Kutsyr ◽  
Lucía Maestre-Carballa ◽  
Mónica Lluesma-Gomez ◽  
Manuel Martinez-Garcia ◽  
Nicolás Cuenca ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Retinitis Pigmentosa ◽  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Functional Decline ◽  
Retinal Disease ◽  
Photoreceptor Cells ◽  
Amplicon Sequencing ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Sequencing Data ◽  
Alpha And Beta Diversity ◽  
Potential Biomarker

AbstractThe gut microbiome is known to influence the pathogenesis and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. However, there has been relatively little focus upon the implications of the gut microbiome in retinal diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Here, we investigated changes in gut microbiome composition linked to RP, by assessing both retinal degeneration and gut microbiome in the rd10 mouse model of RP as compared to control C57BL/6J mice. In rd10 mice, retinal responsiveness to flashlight stimuli and visual acuity were deteriorated with respect to observed in age-matched control mice. This functional decline in dystrophic animals was accompanied by photoreceptor loss, morphologic anomalies in photoreceptor cells and retinal reactive gliosis. Furthermore, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing data showed a microbial gut dysbiosis with differences in alpha and beta diversity at the genera, species and amplicon sequence variants (ASV) levels between dystrophic and control mice. Remarkably, four fairly common ASV in healthy gut microbiome belonging to Rikenella spp., Muribaculaceace spp., Prevotellaceae UCG-001 spp., and Bacilli spp. were absent in the gut microbiome of retinal disease mice, while Bacteroides caecimuris was significantly enriched in mice with RP. The results indicate that retinal degenerative changes in RP are linked to relevant gut microbiome changes. The findings suggest that microbiome shifting could be considered as potential biomarker and therapeutic target for retinal degenerative diseases.

scholarly journals Phenocopy of a heterozygous carrier of X-linked retinitis pigmentosa due to mosaicism for a RHO variant

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ine Strubbe ◽  
Caroline Van Cauwenbergh ◽  
Julie De Zaeytijd ◽  
Sarah De Jaegere ◽  
Marieke De Bruyne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Retinitis Pigmentosa ◽  
Somatic Mosaicism ◽  
Retinal Disease ◽  
Hair Follicles ◽  
Disease Genes ◽  
Female Carrier ◽  
Autofluorescence Imaging ◽  
Targeted Next Generation Sequencing ◽  
Whole Exome ◽  
Next Generation Sequencing Ngs

AbstractWe describe both phenotype and pathogenesis in two male siblings with typical retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and the potentially X-linked RP (XLRP) carrier phenotype in their mother. Two affected sons, two unaffected daughters, and their mother underwent detailed ophthalmological assessments including Goldmann perimetry, color vision testing, multimodal imaging and ISCEV-standard electroretinography. Genetic testing consisted of targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) of known XLRP genes and whole exome sequencing (WES) of known inherited retinal disease genes (RetNet-WES). Variant validation and segregation analysis were performed by Sanger sequencing. The mutational load of the RHO variant in the mother was assessed in DNA from leucocytes, buccal cells and hair follicles using targeted NGS. Both affected sons showed signs of classical RP, while the mother displayed patches of hyperautofluorescence on blue light autofluorescence imaging and regional, intraretinal, spicular pigmentation, reminiscent of a carrier phenotype of XLRP. XLRP testing was negative. RetNet-WES testing revealed RHO variant c.404G > C p.(Arg135Pro) in a mosaic state (21% of the reads) in the mother and in a heterozygous state in both sons. Targeted NGQSS of the RHO variant in different maternal tissues showed a mutation load between 25.06% and 41.72%. We report for the first time that somatic mosaicism of RHO variant c.404G > C p.(Arg135Pro) mimics the phenotype of a female carrier of XLRP, in combination with heterozygosity for the variant in the two affected sons.

scholarly journals Clinical Phenotype of PDE6B-Associated Retinitis Pigmentosa

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 2374
Author(s):  
Laura Kuehlewein ◽  
Ditta Zobor ◽  
Katarina Stingl ◽  
Melanie Kempf ◽  
Fadi Nasser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Acuity ◽  
Genetic Testing ◽  
Retinitis Pigmentosa ◽  
Fundus Autofluorescence ◽  
Retinal Disease ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Autofluorescence Imaging ◽  
Full Field ◽  
Tertiary Referral Center ◽  
The Right

In this retrospective, longitudinal, observational cohort study, we investigated the phenotypic and genotypic features of retinitis pigmentosa associated with variants in the PDE6B gene. Patients underwent clinical examination and genetic testing at a single tertiary referral center, including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), kinetic visual field (VF), full-field electroretinography, full-field stimulus threshold, spectral domain optical coherence tomography, and fundus autofluorescence imaging. The genetic testing comprised candidate gene sequencing, inherited retinal disease gene panel sequencing, whole-genome sequencing, and testing for familial variants by Sanger sequencing. Twenty-four patients with mutations in PDE6B from 21 families were included in the study (mean age at the first visit: 32.1 ± 13.5 years). The majority of variants were putative splicing defects (8/23) and missense (7/23) mutations. Seventy-nine percent (38/48) of eyes had no visual acuity impairment at the first visit. Visual acuity impairment was mild in 4% (2/48), moderate in 13% (6/48), and severe in 4% (2/48). BCVA was symmetrical in the right and left eyes. The kinetic VF measurements were highly symmetrical in the right and left eyes, as was the horizontal ellipsoid zone (EZ) width. Regarding the genetic findings, 43% of the PDE6B variants found in our patients were novel. Thus, this study contributed substantially to the PDE6B mutation spectrum. The visual acuity impairment was mild in 83% of eyes, providing a window of opportunity for investigational new drugs. The EZ width was reduced in all patients and was highly symmetric between the eyes, making it a promising outcome measure. We expect these findings to have implications on the design of future PDE6B-related retinitis pigmentosa (RP) clinical trials.

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