Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff disease are inherited lysosomal storage disorders resulting from beta-hexosaminidase deficiency. Affected patients present with neurodegeneration, mental and motor deterioration, muscular flaccidity, blindness, dysarthria, impaired thermal sensitivity, increasing dementia and cherry-red spots in the macula of the eye. Depending on the clinical severity patients may reach a vegetative state followed by death as early as 2-4 years of life. The neurons of the brain, cerebellum, brain stem, spinal cord, trigeminal and spinal root ganglia display swollen vacuolated perikarya stored with excessive amounts of GM2 ganglioside, leading to aberrant neuronal function, microglia activation and brain inflammation. Based on these observations, we hypothesize that microglia activation and neuro-inflammation secondary to GM2 neuronal gangliosidosis contributes to neurodegeneration and disease development. To test this hypothesis, we propose to investigate neuronal storage and its effects on the microglia/monocyte/macrophage system in a mouse model of GM2 gangliosidosis (hexB-/-knockout). First, we will determine the role of GM2 gangliosidosis in brain inflammation by selectively rescuing neurons from beta-hexosaminidase deficiency. Second, we will investigate the role of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in GM2 gangliosidosis by inhibiting monocyte/macrophage infiltration into the brain. Subsequently, we will transduce bone marrow derived-cells with the therapeutic gene betaHex, capable of expressing both subunits of the human beta-hexosaminidase, and evaluate their efficacy in attenuating disease development in a fashion similar to that described after bone marrow transplantation. In the last specific aim, we will determine whether beta-hexosaminidase gene therapy administered intraperitoneally to hexB-/- P2 neonates can effectively transduce neurons, glia and peripheral blood mononuclear cells with the therapeutic gene betaHex. With this more of therapy we anticipate a resolution of GM2 storage and neuro-inflammation ultimately leading to amelioration of the clinical phenotype of the disease.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01NS048339-02
Application #
6849742
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-CNBT (01))
Program Officer
Utz, Ursula
Project Start
2004-03-01
Project End
2008-02-28
Budget Start
2005-03-01
Budget End
2006-02-28
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2005
Total Cost
$291,375
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Rochester
Department
Dentistry
Type
Schools of Dentistry
DUNS #
041294109
City
Rochester
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
14627
Kyrkanides, Stephanos; Brouxhon, Sabine M; Tallents, Ross H et al. (2012) Conditional expression of human ?-hexosaminidase in the neurons of Sandhoff disease rescues mice from neurodegeneration but not neuroinflammation. J Neuroinflammation 9:186
Kyrkanides, Stephanos; Yang, Meixiang; Tallents, Ross H et al. (2009) The trigeminal retrograde transfer pathway in the treatment of neurodegeneration. J Neuroimmunol 209:139-42
Kyrkanides, Stephanos; Miller, Ann W; Miller, Jen-Nie H et al. (2008) Peripheral blood mononuclear cell infiltration and neuroinflammation in the HexB-/- mouse model of neurodegeneration. J Neuroimmunol 203:50-7
Kyrkanides, Stephanos; Miller, Jen-nie H; Tallents, Ross H et al. (2007) Intraperitoneal inoculation of Sandhoff mouse neonates with an HIV-1 based lentiviral vector exacerbates the attendant neuroinflammation and disease phenotype. J Neuroimmunol 188:39-47
Kyrkanides, S; Kambylafkas, P; Miller, J H et al. (2007) The cranial base in craniofacial development: a gene therapy study. J Dent Res 86:956-61
Kyrkanides, Stephanos; Miller, Jennie H; Brouxhon, Sabine M et al. (2005) beta-hexosaminidase lentiviral vectors: transfer into the CNS via systemic administration. Brain Res Mol Brain Res 133:286-98