A novel, long-lived, and highly engraftable immunodeficient mouse model of mucopolysaccharidosis type I (original) (raw)

Characterization of an immunodeficient mouse model of mucopolysaccharidosis type I suitable for preclinical testing of human stem cell and gene therapy

Brain Research Bulletin, 2007

Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS-I or Hurler syndrome) is an inherited deficiency of the lysosomal glycosaminoglycan (GAG)-degrading enzyme α-L-iduronidase (IDUA) in which GAG accumulation causes progressive multi-system dysfunction and death. Early allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) ameliorates clinical features and extends life but is not available to all patients, and inadequately corrects its most devastating features including mental retardation and skeletal deformities. To test novel therapies, we characterized an immunodeficient MPS-I mouse model less likely to develop immune reactions to transplanted human or gene-corrected cells or secreted IDUA. In the liver, spleen, heart, lung, kidney and brain of NOD/SCID/MPS-I mice IDUA was undetectable, and reduced to half in heterozygotes. MPS-I mice developed marked GAG accumulation (3-38 fold) in these organs. Neuropathological examination showed GM 3 ganglioside accumulation in the striatum, cerebral peduncles, cerebellum and ventral brainstem of MPS-I mice. Urinary GAG excretion (6.5-fold higher in MPS-I mice) provided a non-invasive and reliable method suitable for serially following the biochemical efficacy of therapeutic interventions. We identified and validated using rigorous biostatistical methods, a highly reproducible method for evaluating sensorimotor function and motor skills development. This Rotarod test revealed marked abnormalities in sensorimotor integration involving the cerebellum, striatum, proprioceptive pathways, motor cortex, and in acquisition of motor coordination. NOD/SCID/MPS-I mice exhibit many of the clinical, skeletal, pathological and behavioral abnormalities of human MPS-I, and provide an extremely suitable animal model for assessing the systemic and neurological effects of human stem cell transplantation and gene therapeutic approaches, using the above techniques to measure efficacy.

Intracerebroventricular Transplantation of Human Bone Marrow-Derived Multipotent Progenitor Cells in an Immunodeficient Mouse Model of Mucopolysaccharidosis Type I (MPS-I)

Cell Transplantation, 2012

Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS-I; Hurler syndrome) is an inborn error of metabolism caused by lack of the functional lysosomal glycosaminoglycan (GAG)-degrading enzyme α-L-iduronidase (IDUA). Without treatment, the resulting GAG accumulation causes multisystem dysfunction and death within the first decade. Current treatments include allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and enzyme replacement therapy. HSCT ameliorates clinical features and extends life but is not available to all patients, and inadequately corrects the most devastating features of the disease including mental retardation and skeletal deformities. Recent developments suggest that stem cells can be used to deliver needed enzymes to the central nervous system. To test this concept, we transplanted bone marrow-derived normal adult human MultiStem® cells into the cerebral lateral ventricles of immunodeficient MPS-I neonatal mice. Transplanted cells and human-specific DNA were detected in the hippocampal formation, striatum, and other areas of the central nervous system. Brain tissue assays revealed significant long-term decrease in GAG levels in the hippocampus and striatum. Sensorimotor testing 6 months after transplantation demonstrated significantly improved rotarod performance of transplanted mice in comparison to nontransplanted and sham-transplanted control animals. These results suggest that a single injection of MultiStem cells into the cerebral ventricles of neonatal MPS-I mice induces sustained reduction in GAG accumulation within the brain, and modest long-term improvement in sensorimotor function.

Targeting a Pre-existing Anti-transgene T Cell Response for Effective Gene Therapy of MPS-I in the Mouse Model of the Disease

Molecular Therapy, 2019

Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS-I) is a severe genetic disease caused by a deficiency of the alpha-L-iduronidase (IDUA) enzyme. Ex vivo hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) gene therapy is a promising therapeutic approach for MPS-I, as demonstrated by preclinical studies performed in naive MPS-I mice. However, after enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), several MPS-I patients develop anti-IDUA immunity that may jeopardize ex vivo gene therapy efficacy. Here we treat MPS-I mice with an artificial immunization protocol to mimic the ERT effect in patients, and we demonstrate that IDUA-corrected HSC engraftment is impaired in pre-immunized animals by IDUA-specific CD8 + T cells spared by pre-transplant irradiation. Conversely, humoral anti-IDUA immunity does not impact on IDUA-corrected HSC engraftment. The inclusion of lympho-depleting agents in pre-transplant conditioning of pre-immunized hosts allowes rescue of IDUA-corrected HSC engraftment, which is proportional to CD8 + T cell eradication. Overall, these data demonstrate the relevance of preexisting anti-transgene T cell immunity on ex vivo HSC gene therapy, and they suggest the application of tailored immune-depleting treatments, as well as a deeper immunological characterization of patients, to safeguard the therapeutic effects of ex vivo HSC gene therapy in immunocompetent hosts.

Mesenchymal stem cells do not prevent antibody responses against human α-L-iduronidase when used to treat mucopolysaccharidosis type I

PloS one, 2014

Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPSI) is an autosomal recessive disease that leads to systemic lysosomal storage, which is caused by the absence of a-L-iduronidase (IDUA). Enzyme replacement therapy is recognized as the best therapeutic option for MPSI; however, high titers of anti-IDUA antibody have frequently been observed. Due to the immunosuppressant properties of MSC, we hypothesized that MSC modified with the IDUA gene would be able to produce IDUA for a long period of time. Sleeping Beauty transposon vectors were used to modify MSC because these are basically less-immunogenic plasmids. For cell transplantation, 4610 6 MSC-KO-IDUA cells (MSC from KO mice modified with IDUA) were injected into the peritoneum of KO-mice three times over intervals of more than one month. The total IDUA activities from MSC-KO-IDUA before cell transplantation were 9.6, 120 and 179 U for the first, second and third injections, respectively. Only after the second cell transplantation, more than one unit of IDUA activity was detected in the blood of 3 mice for 2 days. After the third cell transplantation, a high titer of anti-IDUA antibody was detected in all of the treated mice. Anti-IDUA antibody response was also detected in C57Bl/6 mice treated with MSC-WT-IDUA. The antibody titers were high and comparable to mice that were immunized by electroporation. MSC-transplanted mice had high levels of TNF-alpha and infiltrates in the renal glomeruli. The spreading of the transplanted MSC into the peritoneum of other organs was confirmed after injection of 111 In-labeled MSC. In conclusion, the antibody response against IDUA could not be avoided by MSC. On the contrary, these cells worked as an adjuvant that favored IDUA immunization. Therefore, the humoral immunosuppressant property of MSC is questionable and indicates the danger of using MSC as a source for the production of exogenous proteins to treat monogenic diseases.

Gene therapy augments the efficacy of hematopoietic cell transplantation and fully corrects mucopolysaccharidosis type I phenotype in the mouse model

Blood, 2010

Type I mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS I) is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by the deficiency of α-L-iduronidase, which results in glycosaminoglycan accumulation in tissues. Clinical manifestations include skeletal dysplasia, joint stiffness, visual and auditory defects, cardiac insufficiency, hepatosplenomegaly, and mental retardation (the last being present exclusively in the severe Hurler variant). The available treatments, enzyme-replacement therapy and hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation, can ameliorate most disease manifestations, but their outcome on skeletal and brain disease could be further improved. We demonstrate here that HSC gene therapy, based on lentiviral vectors, completely corrects disease manifestations in the mouse model. Of note, the therapeutic benefit provided by gene therapy on critical MPS I manifestations, such as neurologic and skeletal disease, greatly exceeds that exerted by HSC transplantation, the standard of care treatment for Hurler patien...

Hematopoietic differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells from patients with mucopolysaccharidosis type I (Hurler syndrome)

Blood, 2010

Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS IH; Hurler syndrome) is a congenital deficiency of α-L-iduronidase, leading to lysosomal storage of glycosaminoglycans that is ultimately fatal following an insidious onset after birth. Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is a life-saving measure in MPS IH. However, because a suitable hematopoietic donor is not found for everyone, because HCT is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, and because there is no known benefit of immune reaction between the host and the donor cells in MPS IH, gene-corrected autologous stem cells may be the ideal graft for HCT. Thus, we generated induced pluripotent stem cells from 2 patients with MPS IH (MPS-iPS cells). We found that α-L-iduronidase was not required for stem cell renewal, and that MPS-iPS cells showed lysosomal storage characteristic of MPS IH and could be differentiated to both hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic cells. The specific epigenetic profile associated with de-differentiation ...

Immunological considerations and challenges for regenerative cellular therapies

Communications biology, 2021

The central goal of regenerative medicine is to replace damaged or diseased tissue with cells that integrate and function optimally. The capacity of pluripotent stem cells to produce unlimited numbers of differentiated cells is of considerable therapeutic interest, with several clinical trials underway. However, the host immune response represents an important barrier to clinical translation. Here we describe the role of the host innate and adaptive immune responses as triggers of allogeneic graft rejection. We discuss how the immune response is determined by the cellular therapy. Additionally, we describe the range of available in vitro and in vivo experimental approaches to examine the immunogenicity of cellular therapies, and finally we review potential strategies to ameliorate immune rejection. In conclusion, we advocate establishment of platforms that bring together the multidisciplinary expertise and infrastructure necessary to comprehensively investigate the immunogenicity of cellular therapies to ensure their clinical safety and efficacy. R egenerative medicine has emerged as a promising strategy to restore damaged or diseased cells and tissues as a consequence of aging, disease, injury, or accidents. Typically, these therapies involve deriving cell types of interest from an undifferentiated source of cells with multi-or pluripotency, including human embryonic (hESC) or induced (hiPSC) pluripotent stem cell origin 1. Following a thorough assessment of specific marker expression, morphology, and functionality of the derived cells in vitro, pre-clinical studies are necessary to assess the survival, integration, safety, and efficacy of the cell product. There are numerous diseases without current curative treatment such as age-related macular degeneration, Parkinson's disease, Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, and liver disease that could be transformed by the application of cellular therapies to restore tissue function. In fact, currently more than 20 phase I/II stem cell-based studies are registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, but only a few have published results showing survival and safety of the tested cellular therapies; efficacy outcomes are, therefore, awaited (Table 1). Despite the fact that some cellular therapies have progressed to clinical trials, their immunogenicity remains an unresolved challenge that may impede effective long-term translation to the clinic. Although it is often assumed that autologous hiPSCs (i.e., isogenic grafts) lack immunogenicity, this may be dependent on cell type 2-5. Alternatively, stem cell-derivatives generated from individuals unrelated to the recipient (i.e., allogeneic grafts) are very likely to lead to immune-mediated rejection due to their allogeneic origin. Different strategies are in place to reduce graft rejection, including the use of immunosuppressants and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matching between donor and recipient 6,7 , but none are entirely successful at abolishing the immune response in a non-toxic manner. Understanding the mechanisms triggering the

Neonatal umbilical cord blood transplantation halts skeletal disease progression in the murine model of MPS-I

Scientific Reports

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is a promising source of stem cells to use in early haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) approaches for several genetic diseases that can be diagnosed at birth. Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS-I) is a progressive multi-system disorder caused by deficiency of lysosomal enzyme α-L-iduronidase, and patients treated with allogeneic HSCT at the onset have improved outcome, suggesting to administer such therapy as early as possible. Given that the best characterized MPS-I murine model is an immunocompetent mouse, we here developed a transplantation system based on murine UCB. With the final aim of testing the therapeutic efficacy of UCB in MPS-I mice transplanted at birth, we first defined the features of murine UCB cells and demonstrated that they are capable of multi-lineage haematopoietic repopulation of myeloablated adult mice similarly to bone marrow cells. We then assessed the effectiveness of murine UCB cells transplantation in busulfan-conditioned newborn MPS-I mice. Twenty weeks after treatment, iduronidase activity was increased in visceral organs of MPS-I animals, glycosaminoglycans storage was reduced, and skeletal phenotype was ameliorated. This study explores a potential therapy for MPS-I at a very early stage in life and represents a novel model to test UCB-based transplantation approaches for various diseases. Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) can cure or greatly ameliorate a wide variety of genetic diseases, including defects of haematopoietic cell production or function and metabolic diseases mainly affecting solid organs 1. In post-natal life, haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) reside in the bone marrow (BM), so this was historically the first source of cells employed for HSCT. However, immediately after birth, HSCs can still be found in the fetal blood that flows in the umbilical cord vessels (umbilical cord blood, UCB). Unrelated donor UCB has several potential advantages over BM for HSCT, since it offers a relative ease of procurement, a greater degree of HLA (humal leukocyte antigen)-mismatch, with increased probability to find a suitable donor and lower incidence of acute and chronic graft versus host disease (GVHD), and reduced risk of viral infections (like Epstein-Barr virus and Cytomegalovirus) 1-4. Furthermore, in the specific case of transplantation for inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs), UCB transplantation (UCBT) shows two significant extra-advantages over BM transplantation (BMT) 3, 5-7. First, the availability of cells to transplant is more rapid, thanks to the augmented probability to find HLA-matched donors and the existence of cord blood banks where UCB units are stored frozen and ready to use.

Generation of Mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPS II) human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line from a 1-year-old male with pathogenic IDS mutation

Stem Cell Research, 2016

Peripheral blood was collected from a 7-year-old male patient with an X-linked recessive mutation of Iduronate 2sulfatase (IDS) gene (NM_000202.7(IDS):c.182CNT) causing MPS II (OMIM 309900). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were reprogrammed by lentiviral delivery of a self-silencing hOKSM polycistronic vector. The pluripotency of the iPSC line was confirmed by the expression of pluripotency-associated markers and in vitro spontaneous differentiation towards the 3 germ layers. The iPSC line showed normal karyotype. The cell line offers a good platform to study MPS II pathophysiology, for drug testing, early biomarker discovery and gene therapy studies.