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A single combination gene therapy treats multiple age-related diseases
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 Nov 19;116(47):23505-23511. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1910073116.
Noah Davidsohn 1 2, Matthew Pezone 1, Andyna Vernet 1, Amanda Graveline 1, Daniel Oliver 1, Shimyn Slomovic 1, Sukanya Punthambaker 1 2, Xiaoming Sun 3, Ronglih Liao 4 5, Joseph V Bonventre 3, George M Church 6 2
Abstract:
...In this study, we developed gene therapies based on 3 longevity associated genes (fibroblast growth factor 21 [FGF21], αKlotho, soluble form of mouse transforming growth factor-β receptor 2 [sTGFβR2]) delivered using adeno-associated viruses and explored their ability to mitigate 4 age-related diseases: obesity, type II diabetes, heart failure, and renal failure. Individually and combinatorially, we applied these therapies to disease-specific mouse models and found that this set of diverse pathologies could be effectively treated and in some cases, even reversed with a single dose. We observed a 58% increase in heart function in ascending aortic constriction ensuing heart failure, a 38% reduction in α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) expression, and a 75% reduction in renal medullary atrophy in mice subjected to unilateral ureteral obstruction and a complete reversal of obesity and diabetes phenotypes in mice fed a constant high-fat diet. Crucially, we discovered that a single formulation combining 2 separate therapies into 1 was able to treat all 4 diseases. These results emphasize the promise of gene therapy for treating diverse age-related ailments and demonstrate the potential of combination gene therapy that may improve health span and longevity by addressing multiple diseases at once.
PMID: 31685628
Free Full-Text: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6711723/
Tags: FGF21, gene therapy, klotho, mice, Mouse models, TGF-beta