Efficacy of AAV8-hUGT1A1 with Rapamycin in neonatal, suckling, and juvenile rats to model treatment in pediatric CNs patients
Xiaoxia Shi, Sem J. Aronson, Lysbeth ten Bloemendaal, Suzanne Duijst, Robert S. Bakker, Dirk R. de Waart, Giulia Bortolussi, Fanny Collaud, Ronald P.J. Oude Elferink, Andrés F. Muro, Federico Mingozzi, Giuseppe Ronzitti, Piter J. Bosma
Abstract
, and serum bilirubin levels and anti-AAV8 neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) in serum were monitored. The possibility of preventing the immune response toward the vector was investigated using a rapamycin-based regimen with daily intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections starting 2 days before and ending 21 days after vector administration. In rats treated at postnatal day 1 (P1) or P14, the correction was (partially) lost after 12 weeks, whereas the correction was stable in rats injected at P28. Combining initial vector administration with the immune-suppressive regimen prevented induction of NAbs in female rats, allowing at least partially effective re-administration. Induction of NAbs upon re-injection could not be prevented, suggesting that this strategy will be ineffective in patients with low levels of preexisting anti-AAV NAbs.