NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In feline experiments, researchers have achieved permanent transfer of a functioning gene to targeted ocular tissues, in what they say is the first step toward gene therapy for glaucoma.
The experiments are reported in the online issue of Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, by Dr. Nils Loewen and colleagues at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota.
In 19 cats, lentivirus vectors encoding marker transgenes were injected into the anterior chamber of the eye, targeted at the trabecular meshwork. One of the markers was Aequorea victoria, a fluorescent green protein found in jellyfish.
According to a press release from the Mayo Clinic, “When the vector reached the intended destination in the eyes of laboratory cats, the vector’s cargo gene produced the phosphorescent jellyfish protein in the cats’ eyes. Researchers knew they were successful because the cats’ eyes turned green when viewed with ultraviolet light at the targeted area.”
The effects of a single injection persisted in the targeted tissue for at least 10 months, the investigators said.
“There is a critical need for a realistic animal model for glaucoma,” the authors write.
They believe their studies have provided “a basis for developing realistic disease models and administering glaucoma gene therapy.”
“High-grade transgene expression in this large animal model persisted stably for at least 10 months after a single transcorneal lentiviral vector injection, was highly targeted, and could be monitored serially and noninvasively in living animals,” the researchers conclude.
Source: Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2004;45. [ Google search on this article ]
MeSH Headings:Animal Diseases: Biological Therapy: Disease Models, Animal: Genetic Engineering: Genetic Techniques: Investigative Techniques: Therapeutics: Gene Therapy: Gene Transfer: Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment: DiseasesCopyright © 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.
