Pre-clinical evaluation of a gene therapy candidate for SOD1-ALS shows improved survival and signs of inflammation in the CNS of treated mice.

Abstract

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor neurons loss (MN). In 15-20% of familial ALS cases, mutations in the superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) gene are the underlying cause. Targeting human SOD1 (hSOD1) toxicity has emerged as a promising approach to treat SOD1-ALS. We previously demonstrated the efficacy of an exon-skipping strategy using a self-complementary AAVrh10-U7-hSOD1 vector in SOD1G93A mice achieving significant hSOD1 silencing. In this study, we optimized the therapeutic protocol by conducting a dose-finding and biodistribution study of scAAVrh10-U7-hSOD1 following a single intracerebroventricular injection in adult SOD1G93A mice. Our findings demonstrate a dose-dependent reduction in mutant hSOD1 levels in the cortex, spinal cord, and peripheral tissues, sustained for up to 60 days post-injection. In vivo, some adverse effects were noted mostly at the highest dose, with inflammation early post-injection and persistent microglial activation in the brain observed around the injection site. Importantly, the medium-dose treatment extended mean survival by up to 27% with a much milder early toxicity, which will provide a great possibility for future applications. Additionally, no major off-target effects were observed in human cell models, highlighting the targeting specificity of this approach and the potential safety for translation. These findings confirm and extend the therapeutic potential of scAAVrh10-U7-hSOD1 gene therapy while emphasizing the need for further technological development to minimize adverse effects and maximize potential clinical benefit.