Long-term restoration of striatal L-aromatic amino acid decarboxylase activity using recombinant adeno-associated viral vector gene transfer in a rodent model of Parkinson's disease
Se. Leff et al., Long-term restoration of striatal L-aromatic amino acid decarboxylase activity using recombinant adeno-associated viral vector gene transfer in a rodent model of Parkinson's disease, NEUROSCIENC, 92(1), 1999, pp. 185-196
As a potential treatment for Parkinson's disease, viral vector-mediated ove
r-expression of striatal a-aromatic amino acid decarboxylase was tested in
an attempt to facilitate the production of therapeutic levels of dopamine a
fter peripheral L-dihydroxyphenylalanine administration. The results of mic
rodialysis and enzyme activity assays indicate that striatal decarboxylatio
n of peripherally administered L-dihydroxyphenylalanine was enhanced by rec
ombinant adeno-associated virus-mediated gene transfer of a-aromatic amino
acid decarboxylase in unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats. This gene
transfer-induced increase in striatal decarboxylase activity was shown to
remain undiminished over a six-month period and transgene expression was de
monstrated to persist for at least one year. Unlike previous approaches inv
olving delivery of either tyrosine hydroxylase, or tyrosine hydroxylase and
a-aromatic amino acid decarboxylase transgenes together to accomplish unre
gulated dopamine delivery, the current study proposes a pro-drug strategy (
peripheral L-dihydroxyphenylalanine administration after a-aromatic amino a
cid decarboxylase transduction). This strategy for dosage control could pot
entially allow lowered L-dihydroxyphenylalanine doses and potentially obvia
te complicated transcriptional regulation paradigms.
These data suggest that the use of the non-pathogenic adeno-associated viru
s to transfer the a-aromatic amino acid decarboxylase gene into the striatu
m of Parkinson's disease patients may be an attractive gene therapy strateg
y. (C) 1999 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.