Long-term efficacy of systemic multiexon skipping targeting dystrophin exons 45-55 with a cocktail of vivo-morpholinos in mdx52 mice.

ABSTRACT: Antisense-mediated exon skipping, which can restore the reading frame, is a most promising therapeutic approach for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Remaining challenges include the limited applicability to patients and unclear function of truncated dystrophin proteins. Multiexon skipping targeting exons 45-55 at the mutation hotspot of the dystrophin gene could overcome both of these challenges. Previously, we described the feasibility of exons 45-55 skipping with a cocktail of Vivo-Morpholinos in vivo; however, the long-term efficacy and safety of Vivo-Morpholinos remains to be determined. In this study, we examined the efficacy and toxicity of exons 45-55 skipping by intravenous injections of 6?mg/kg 10-Vivo-Morpholino cocktail (0.6?mg/kg each vPMO) every 2 weeks for 18 weeks to dystrophic exon-52 knockout (mdx52) mice. Systemic skipping of the entire exons 45-55 region was induced, and the Western blot analysis exhibited the restoration of 5-27% of normal levels of dystrophin protein in skeletal muscles, accompanied by improvements in histopathology and muscle strength. No obvious immune response and renal and hepatic toxicity were detected at the end-point of the treatment. We demonstrate our new regimen with the 10-Vivo-Morpholino cocktail is effective and safe for long-term repeated systemic administration in the dystrophic mouse model.

SUBMITTER: Echigoya Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4345310 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature