Lee, C.-Z. | Search bioRxiv

bioRxiv2022

Comprehensive preclinical evaluation of human-derived anti-poly-GA antibodies in cellular and animal models of C9ORF72 disease

Hexanucleotide G4C2 repeat expansions in the C9ORF72 gene are the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs) generated by translation of repeat-containing RNAs show toxic effects in vivo as well as in vitro and are key targets for therapeutic intervention. We generated human antibodies that bind DPRs with high affinity and specificity. Anti-GA antibodies engaged extra- and intracellular poly-GA and reduced aggregate formation in a poly-GA over-expressing human cell line. However, antibody treatment in human neuronal cultures synthesizing exogenous poly-GA resulted in the formation of large extracellular immune complexes and did not affect accumulation of intracellular poly-GA aggregates. Treatment with antibodies was also shown to directly alter the morphological and biochemical properties of poly-GA and to shift poly-GA/antibody complexes to more rapidly sedimenting ones. These alterations were not observed with poly-GP and have important implications for accurate measurement of poly-GA levels including the need to evaluate all centrifugation fractions and disrupt the interaction between treatment antibodies and poly-GA by denaturation. Targeting poly-GA and poly-GP in two mouse models expressing G4C2 repeats by systemic antibody delivery for up to 16 months was well-tolerated and led to measurable brain penetration of antibodies. Long term treatment with anti-GA antibodies produced improvement in an open field movement test in aged C9ORF72450 mice. However, chronic administration of anti-GA antibodies in AAV-(G4C2)149 mice was associated with increased levels of poly-GA detected by immunoassay and did not significantly reduce poly-GA aggregates or alleviate disease progression in this model. SignificanceImmunotherapy has been proposed for neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimers or Parkinsons diseases. Recent reports using antibodies against poly-GA or active immunization suggested similar immunotherapy in ALS/FTD caused by repeat expansion in the C9ORF72 gene (1, 2). Here, we systematically characterized human antibodies against multiple DPR species and tested the biological effects of antibodies targeting poly-GA in different cellular and mouse models. Target engagement was shown in three independent cellular models. Anti-GA antibodies reduced the number of intracellular poly-GA aggregates in human T98G cells but not in cultured human neurons. Whereas chronic anti-GA treatment in BAC C9ORF72450 mice did not impact poly-GA levels and modestly improved one behavioral phenotype, poly-GA levels detected by immunoassays were increased and disease progression was unaltered in AAV-(G4C2)149 mice.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

Wild-type FUS corrects ALS-like disease induced by cytoplasmic mutant FUS through autoregulation.

Mutations in FUS, an RNA-binding protein involved in multiple steps of RNA metabolism, are associated with the most severe forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Accumulation of cytoplasmic FUS is likely to be a major culprit in the toxicity of FUS mutations. Thus, preventing cytoplasmic mislocalization of the FUS protein may represent a valuable therapeutic strategy. FUS binds to its own pre-mRNA creating an autoregulatory loop efficiently buffering FUS excess through multiple proposed mechanisms including retention of introns 6 and/or 7. Here, we introduced a wild-type FUS gene allele, retaining all intronic sequences, in mice whose heterozygous or homozygous expression of a cytoplasmically retained FUS protein (Fus{Delta}NLS) was previously shown to provoke ALS-like disease or postnatal lethality, respectively. Wild-type FUS completely rescued the early lethality caused by the two Fus{Delta}NLS alleles, and improved age-dependent motor deficit and reduced lifespan associated with the heterozygous expression of Fus{Delta}NLS. Mechanistically, wild-type FUS decreased the load of cytoplasmic FUS, increased exon 7 skipping and retention of introns 6 and 7 in the endogenous mouse Fus mRNA, leading to decreased expression of the mutant mRNA. Thus, the wild-type FUS allele activates the homeostatic autoregulatory loop, maintaining constant FUS levels and decreasing the mutant protein in the cytoplasm. These results provide proof of concept that an autoregulatory competent wild-type FUS expression could protect against this devastating, currently intractable, neurodegenerative disease.

neuroscience↗