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RNA interference-based therapy for spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 retinal degeneration
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

RNA interference-based therapy for spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 retinal degeneration

Pavitra S Ramachandran, Sajag Bhattarai, Pratibha Singh, Ryan L Boudreau, Stewart Thompson, Albert R Laspada, Arlene V Drack and Beverly L Davidson
PloS one, Vol.9(4), e95362
2014
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095362
PMCID: PMC3997397
PMID: 24759684
url
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0095362View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease characterized by loss of motor coordination and retinal degeneration with no current therapies in the clinic. The causative mutation is an expanded CAG repeat in the ataxin-7 gene whose mutant protein product causes cerebellar and brainstem degeneration and retinal cone-rod dystrophy. Here, we reduced the expression of both mutant and wildtype ataxin-7 in the SCA7 mouse retina by RNA interference and evaluated retinal function 23 weeks post injection. We observed a preservation of normal retinal function and no adverse toxicity with ≥50% reduction of mutant and wildtype ataxin-7 alleles. These studies address an important safety concern regarding non-allele specific silencing of ataxin-7 for SCA7 retinal therapy.
Animals Retinal Degeneration - genetics Humans Mice, Inbred C57BL Retinal Degeneration - therapy Ataxin-7 Mice, Transgenic Mice Spinocerebellar Ataxias - therapy RNA Interference - physiology Nerve Tissue Proteins - genetics Spinocerebellar Ataxias - genetics

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