New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Science News
from research organizations

Gene Therapy For Hemophilia A Mice

Date:
June 9, 2009
Source:
Journal of Clinical Investigation
Summary:
Hemophilia A is an inherited bleeding disorder caused by a lack of the blood clotting protein Factor VIII. Current gene therapy approaches to treat the condition have had little clinical success. However, hope is provided by researchers who have developed a new approach to target genes to the cells that are the main source of Factor VIII and used it to provide long-term expression of Factor VIII in hemophilia A mice, markedly reducing their disease.
Share:
FULL STORY

Hemophilia A is an inherited bleeding disease caused by a lack of the blood clotting protein Factor VIII. It had been hoped that gene therapy would provide a breakthrough in treatment, but the most common gene therapy approach has had little clinical success.

However, a team of researchers, at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, has now developed a new approach to target genes specifically to mouse liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (the cells that are the main source of Factor VIII) and used it to provide long-term expression of Factor VIII in hemophilia A mice, markedly reducing their disease. They hope that their data might prove to be a step toward successful human clinical trials in individuals with hemophilia A.

The team, led by Betsy Kren and Clifford Steer, coated nanoparticles with hyaluron so that they targeted liver sinusoidal endothelial cells. To test the efficacy of gene delivery, the hyaluron-coated nanoparticles were engineered to contain a therapeutic gene (Factor VIII) together with a genetic element known as Sleeping Beauty, which helps the therapeutic gene insert into the genome of the targeted cells (i.e, the liver sinusoidal endothelial cells).

Even 50 weeks after hemophilia A mice were injected with these nanoparticles, levels of Factor VIII in the blood were the same as in the blood of normal mice and bleeding times were also similar to those of normal mice. The authors hope that this combination of technologies, the cell-specific nanocapsule delivery system and the Sleeping Beauty genetic element, will prove to be a viable gene therapy.


Story Source:

Materials provided by Journal of Clinical Investigation. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Betsy T. Kren et al. Nanocapsule-delivered Sleeping Beauty mediates therapeutic Factor VIII expression in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells of hemophilia A mice. Journal of Clinical Investigation, June 8, 2009

Cite This Page:

Journal of Clinical Investigation. "Gene Therapy For Hemophilia A Mice." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 9 June 2009. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608182425.htm>.
Journal of Clinical Investigation. (2009, June 9). Gene Therapy For Hemophilia A Mice. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608182425.htm
Journal of Clinical Investigation. "Gene Therapy For Hemophilia A Mice." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608182425.htm (accessed March 28, 2024).

Explore More

from ScienceDaily

RELATED STORIES