Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a fatal, genetic disorder in which dystrophin-deficient muscle progressively degenerates, for which dystrophin gene transfer could provide effective treatment. The host immune response to dystrophin, however, is an obstacle to therapeutic gene expression. Understanding the dystrophin-induced host immune response will facilitate the discovery of strategies to prolong expression of recombinant dystrophin in dystrophic muscle. Using whole-body irradiation of the dystrophic mdx mouse before gene transfer, we temporally removed the immune system; a 600 rad dose removed peripheral immune cells, which were restored by self-reconstitution, and a 900 rad dose removed central and peripheral immune cells, which were restored by adoptive transfer of bone marrow from a syngeneic, dystrophin-normal donor. The anti-dystrophin humoral response was delayed and dystrophin expression was partially preserved in irradiated, vector-treated mice. Nonirradiated, vector-treated control mice lost muscle dystrophin expression completely, had an earlier anti-dystrophin humoral response and demonstrated muscle fibers focally surrounded with T cells. We conclude that dystrophin gene transfer induced anti-dystrophin humoral immunity and cell-mediated responses that were significantly diminished and delayed by temporal removal of the host central or peripheral immune cells. Furthermore, manipulation of central immunity altered the pattern of regulatory T cells in muscle.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1181-1190 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Gene therapy |
Volume | 17 |
Issue number | 9 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 2010 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Molecular Medicine
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics