Patent Application
20240148907
The invention generally relates to the treatment of diseases involving a deficiency of ENPP1 or ENPP3 by providing nucleic acid encoding ENPP1 or ENPP3 to a mammal.
This application contains a Sequence Listing which has been submitted electronically as a WIPO Standard ST.26 XML file via Patent Center, created on Apr. 7, 2023, is entitled “4427-11307.xml” and is 237 KB in size. The sequence listing is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
ENPP1 (also known as PC-1) is a type 2 extracellular membrane-bound glycoprotein located on the mineral-depositing matrix vesicles of osteoblasts and chondrocytes and hydrolyzes extracellular nucleotides (principally ATP) into adenosine monophosphate (AMP) and inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi). PPi functions as a potent inhibitor of ectopic tissue mineralization by binding to nascent hydroxyapatite (HA) crystals, thereby preventing the future growth of these crystals. ENPP1 generates PPi via hydrolysis of nucleotide triphosphates (NTPs), Progressive Ankylosis Protein (ANK) transports intracellular PPi into the extracellular space, and Tissue Non-specific Alkaline Phosphatase (TNAP) removes PPi via direct hydrolysis of PPi into Pi. WO 2011/113027—Quinn et al., WO 2012/125182—Quinn et al, WO 2016/100803—Quinn et al and WO 2017/218786—Yan et al. describe NPP1.
ENPP3 like ENPP1 also belongs to the phosphodiesterase I/nucleotide pyrophosphatase enzyme family. These enzymes are type II transmembrane proteins that catalyze the cleavage of phosphodiester and phosphosulfate bonds of a variety of molecules, including deoxynucleotides, NAD, and nucleotide sugars. ENPP1 been shown to be effective in treating certain diseases of ectopic tissue calcification, such as reducing generalized arterial calcifications in a mouse model for GACI (generalized arterial calcification of infants), which is a severe disease occurring in infants and involving extensive arterial calcification (Albright, et al., 2015, Nature Comm. 10006).
In one aspect, the disclosure provides a recombinant nucleic acid comprising: (a) a liver specific promoter and (b) nucleotide sequence encoding the catalytic domain of ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (ENPP1) polypeptide or the catalytic domain of ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-3 (ENPP3) polypeptide.
In some embodiments of the recombinant nucleic acid, wherein said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide or said ENPP3 polypeptide encodes a soluble ENPP1 or a soluble ENPP3 polypeptide.
In some embodiments of the recombinant nucleic acid, wherein said nucleic acid comprises a vector or a plasmid capable of expressing said encoded polypeptide.
In some embodiments of the recombinant nucleic acid, wherein said vector is a viral vector.
In some embodiments of the recombinant nucleic acid is delivered into a mammalian cell by a vector, wherein said vector is a viral vector.
In some embodiments of the recombinant nucleic acid is delivered into a mammalian cell by a vector, wherein said vector is a non-viral vector.
In some embodiments of the recombinant nucleic acid, wherein the viral vector is an Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector.
In some embodiments of aforesaid recombinant nucleic acid, wherein said nucleic acid encodes an Azurocidin signal peptide and said signal peptide is operatively associated with said ENPP1 polypeptide or said ENPP3 polypeptide.
In some embodiments of the any of aforesaid recombinant nucleic acid, wherein said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide or said ENPP3 polypeptide encodes an ENPP1 or an ENPP3 fusion protein comprising said ENPP1 polypeptide or said ENPP3 polypeptide and a heterologous protein.
In some embodiments of the recombinant nucleic acid, wherein said ENPP1 fusion protein or an ENPP3 fusion protein encoded by said nucleotide sequence has an increased circulating half-life in a mammal relative to the circulating half-life of an ENPP1 polypeptide that does not comprise the heterologous protein.
In some embodiments of the recombinant nucleic acid, wherein said heterologous protein encoded by said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 or ENPP3 fusion protein is an immunoglobulin crystallizable fragment (Fc) polypeptide or an albumin polypeptide.
In some embodiments of the recombinant nucleic acid, wherein said ENPP1 or ENPP3 fusion protein encoded by said nucleotide sequence comprises in amino to carboxy terminal order of said fusion protein said ENPP1 or said ENPP3 polypeptide and said Fc polypeptide or said albumin polypeptide.
In some embodiments of any of the recombinant nucleic acid, wherein said Fc polypeptide encoded by said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 or ENPP3 fusion protein is an IgG1 Fc polypeptide.
In some embodiments of the recombinant nucleic acid, wherein said encoded IgG1 Fc polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 34.
In some embodiments of the recombinant nucleic acid, wherein said encoded IgG1 Fc polypeptide is a variant IgG Fc.
In some embodiments of the recombinant nucleic, wherein said encoded variant Fc polypeptide comprises amino acid substitutions: M252Y/S254T/T256E, according to EU numbering.
In some embodiments of the recombinant nucleic acid, wherein said encoded variant Fc polypeptide comprises amino acids 853-1079 of SEQ ID NO:95.
In some embodiments of the aforesaid recombinant nucleic acid, wherein said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide encodes amino acids 99 to 925 of SEQ ID NO:1.
In some embodiments of the recombinant nucleic acid, wherein said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide encodes a variant said ENPP1 polypeptide.
In some embodiments of the recombinant nucleic acid, wherein said encoded variant ENPP1 polypeptide comprises a sequence encoding an amino acid substitution at position 332 relative to SEQ ID NO:1.
In some embodiments of the recombinant nucleic acid, wherein said sequence encoding said amino acid substitution at position 332 relative to SEQ ID NO:1 comprises I332T.
In some embodiments of the recombinant nucleic acid, wherein said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide comprises a sequence encoding amino acids 21-847 of SEQ ID NO: 95.
In some embodiments of the recombinant nucleic acid, wherein said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide comprises a sequence encoding amino acids 20-847 of SEQ ID NO: 95.
In some embodiments of the recombinant nucleic acid, wherein said encoded ENPP1 fusion protein comprises a sequence encoding a protein linker linking said encoded ENPP1 polypeptide and said encoded heterologous polypeptide.
In some embodiments of the recombinant nucleic acid, wherein said encoded protein linker comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:94 (GGGGS).
In some embodiments of the recombinant nucleic acid, wherein said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 fusion protein comprises amino acids 21-1079 of SEQ ID NO: 95.
In some embodiments of the recombinant nucleic acid, wherein said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 fusion protein comprises amino acids 20-1079 of SEQ ID NO: 95.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a viral vector comprising nucleic acid comprising (a) a liver specific promoter and (a) a nucleotide sequence encoding an ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (ENPP1) polypeptide or ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-3 (ENPP3) polypeptide.
In some embodiments, any of the aforesaid recombinant nucleic acid or any of the aforesaid viral vector, wherein said liver specific promoter is selected from the group consisting of liver promoter 1 (LP1) and hybrid liver promoter (HLP).
In some embodiments of the viral vector, wherein the vector comprises a sequence encoding a polyadenylation signal.
In some embodiments of the viral vector, wherein the vector encodes a signal peptide that is an Azurocidin signal peptide.
In some embodiments the viral vector, wherein the viral vector is an Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector.
In some embodiments of the viral vector, said AAV vector having a serotype selected from the group consisting of: AAV1, AAV2, AAV3, AAV4, AAV5, AAV6, AAV7, AAV8, AAV9, and AAV-rh74.
In some embodiments, any of the aforesaid viral vector, wherein the viral vector comprises any of the aforesaid nucleic acid.
In some embodiments, delivery of said recombinant nucleic acid encoding catalytic domain of ENPP1 or ENPP3 into cells is done using a viral vector.
In some embodiments, delivery of said recombinant nucleic acid encoding catalytic domain of ENPP1 or ENPP3 into cells is done using non-viral vectors.
In some embodiments, delivery of said recombinant nucleic acid into cells involves the use of one or more of ballistic DNA, electroporation, sonoporation, photoporation, magnetofection, hydroporation.
In some embodiments, delivery of non-viral vectors comprising said recombinant nucleic acid encoding catalytic domain of ENPP1 or ENPP3 into cells involves the use of one or more of DNA/cationic lipid (lipoplexes), DNA/cationic polymer (polyplexes), DNA/cationic polymer/cationic lipid (lipopolyplexes), lipid nano particles (LPN), ionizable lipids, lipidoids, peptide-based vectors and polymer-based vectors.
In some embodiments, the non-viral vectors used for delivery of said recombinant nucleic acid is selected from the group consisting of lipoplexes, polyplexes, lipopolyplexes, ionizable lipids, lipidoids, lipid nano particles (LPN), peptide-based vectors and polymer-based vectors.
In some embodiments, the non-viral vectors used for delivery of said recombinant nucleic acid is a lipid nano particle (LNP).
In some embodiments, the LNP used for delivery of said recombinant nucleic acid is coated and/or conjugated with stability enhancing moiety.
In some embodiments, the stability enhancing moiety of LNP is polyethylene glycol (PEG) In some embodiments, the LNP used for delivery of said recombinant nucleic acid is coated and/or conjugated with targeting moiety.
In some embodiments, the LNP used for delivery of said recombinant nucleic acid is conjugated with one or more targeting moiety and the targeting moiety is selected from the group consisting of iron-saturated transferrin (Tf), folic acid, Arginylglycylaspartic acid (RGD) and anisamide.
In some embodiments, the LNP used for delivery of said recombinant nucleic acid is conjugated with pH-sensitive linker.
In some embodiments, the LNP used for delivery of said recombinant nucleic acid is conjugated with pH-sensitive linker and the pH-sensitive linker is selected from a group consisting of diorthoester, orthoester, vinyl ether, phosphoramidate, hydrazine, and beta-thiopropionate.
In some embodiments, the LNP used for delivery of said recombinant nucleic acid is modified with targeting moiety in order to specifically deliver the recombinant nucleic acid to the liver.
In some embodiments, the LNP used for delivery of said recombinant nucleic acid to liver is a vitamin A-coupled liposome.
In some embodiments, the LNP used for delivery of said recombinant nucleic acid is conjugated with a ligand that targets a specific receptor selected from the group consisting of collagen type VI receptor, mannose-6-phosphate receptor and galactose receptor.
In some embodiments, the non-viral vectors used for delivery of said recombinant nucleic acid is a peptide-based vector.
In some embodiments, the non-viral vectors used for delivery of said recombinant nucleic acid is a polymer-based vector.
In some embodiments, the polymer-based vector is selected from the group consisting of natural and synthetic polymer.
In some embodiments, the polymer-based vector is natural and is selected from protein, peptide or polysaccharide.
In some embodiments, the polymer-based vector is Chitosan.
In some embodiments, the polymer-based vector is synthetic and is selected from protein, peptide or polysaccharide.
In some embodiments, the polymer-based vector is synthetic and is selected from Polyethylene mine (PEI), Dendrimer, and Polyphosphoester.
In yet another aspect, the disclosure features a non-viral vector comprising a recombinant nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding an ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (ENPP1) polypeptide or ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-3 (ENPP3) polypeptide. The ENPP1 polypeptide can be any of the ENPP1 polypeptides described herein. The ENPP3 polypeptide can be any of the ENPP3 polypeptides described herein. In some embodiments, the nucleic acid further comprises a liver specific promoter sequence.
In another aspect, the disclosure also provides a method of obtaining any of the aforesaid recombinant viral vector, comprising the steps of:
In some embodiments, method of providing ENPP1 or ENPP3 protein to a mammal, the method comprising: administering to said mammal any of the aforesaid viral vectors.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising anyone of the viral vector and a physiologically compatible carrier.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a method of preventing or reducing the progression of a disease in a mammal in need thereof, the method comprising administering to said mammal a therapeutically effective amount of the pharmaceutical composition, wherein the disease is selected from the group consisting of: X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH), Chronic kidney disease (CKD), Mineral bone disorders (MBD), vascular calcification, pathological calcification of soft tissue, pathological ossification of soft tissue, Generalized arterial calcification of infants (GACI), and Ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL), whereby said disease in said mammal is prevented or its progress reduced.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a cell comprising any of the aforesaid nucleic acid.
In a related aspect, the disclosure provides a method of treating or preventing a disease or disorder of pathological calcification or pathological ossification in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of any of the aforesaid viral vector, a viral vector produced by the aforesaid method, or the pharmaceutical composition thereby treating or preventing said disease or disorder.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a method of treating a subject having an ENPP1 protein deficiency, comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of any of the aforesaid viral vector, a viral vector produced by any of the aforesaid method, or the pharmaceutical composition, thereby treating said subject.
In some embodiments, the method, wherein said disease or disorder or said ENPP1 protein deficiency is associated with a loss of function mutation in an NPP1 gene or a loss of function mutation in an ABCC6 gene in said subject.
In some embodiments of the method, wherein said viral vector encodes recombinant ENPP1 polypeptide.
In some embodiments of the method, wherein said viral vector encodes recombinant ENPP3 polypeptide.
In some embodiments of the method of treating a subject having an ENPP1 protein deficiency, the method comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of the viral vector, a viral vector produced by any of the aforesaid method, or the pharmaceutical composition, thereby treating said subject.
In some embodiments of the method, wherein said disease or disorder or said ENPP1 protein deficiency is associated with a loss of function mutation in an NPP1 gene or a loss of function mutation in an ABCC6 gene in said subject.
In some embodiments of the method, wherein the viral vector or pharmaceutical composition is administered at a dosage of 1×1012 to 1×1015 vg/kg of the subject.
In some embodiments of the method, wherein the viral vector or pharmaceutical composition is administered at a dosage of 1×1013 to 1×1014 vg/kg of the subject.
In some embodiments of the method, wherein the viral vector or pharmaceutical composition is administered at a dosage of 5×1011-5×1015 vg/kg of the subject.
In some embodiments of the method, wherein administration of said viral vector or pharmaceutical composition to the subject increases plasma pyrophosphate (PPi) and/or plasma ENPP1 or ENPP3 concentration in said subject.
In some embodiments of the method, further comprising detecting or measuring in a biological sample obtained from the subject or mammal one or more of the following parameters: (i) the concentration of pyrophosphate, (ii) the expression level of ENPP1 or ENPP3, and (iii) the enzymatic activity of ENPP1 or ENPP3.
In some embodiments of the method, wherein the detecting or measuring occurs before administering the viral vector or pharmaceutical composition. In one aspect, the disclosure provides a recombinant polynucleotide encoding a recombinant polypeptide comprising ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (ENPP1) or ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-3 (ENPP3).
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a viral vector comprising any of the recombinant polynucleotides described herein In some embodiments, the recombinant polynucleotide encodes a human ENPP1 or a human ENPP3 polypeptide. Thus, the disclosure also provides a viral vector comprising a recombinant polynucleotide encoding a recombinant polypeptide comprising ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (ENPP1) or ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-3 (ENPP3).
In some embodiments of any of the polynucleotides or viral vectors described herein, the recombinant polypeptide is an ENPP1 fusion polypeptide.
In some embodiments of any of the polynucleotides or viral vectors described herein, the recombinant polypeptide is an ENPP3 fusion polypeptide.
In some embodiments of any of the polynucleotides or viral vectors described herein, the ENPP1 fusion polypeptide is an ENPP1-Fc fusion polypeptide or ENPP1-Albumin fusion polypeptide.
In some embodiments of any of the polynucleotides or viral vectors described herein, the ENPP3 fusion polypeptide is an ENPP3-Fc fusion polypeptide or ENPP3-Albumin fusion polypeptide.
In some embodiments of any of the polynucleotides or viral vectors described herein, the recombinant polypeptide comprises a signal peptide fused to ENPP1 or ENPP3.
In some embodiments of any of the polynucleotides or viral vectors described herein, the signal peptide is Azurocidin signal peptide or NPP2 signal peptide or NPP7 signal peptide.
In some embodiments of any of the polynucleotides or viral vectors described herein, the viral vector is Adeno-Associated Viral Vector, or Herpes Simplex Vector, or Alphaviral Vector, or Lentiviral Vectors. In one aspect of the invention, the serotype of Adeno-Associated viral vector (AAV) is AAV1, or AAV2, or AAV3, or AAV4, or AAV5, or AAV6, or AAV7, or AAV8, or AAV9, or AAV-rh74.
In yet another aspect, the disclosure provides an Adeno-Associated viral vector comprising a recombinant polypeptide encoding an ENPP1-Fc fusion polypeptide.
In yet another aspect, the disclosure provides an Adeno-Associated viral vector comprising a recombinant polypeptide encoding a recombinant polypeptide comprising an Azurocidin signal peptide fused to ENPP1-Fc fusion polypeptide.
In some embodiments, the viral vector is not an insect viral vector, such as a baculoviral vector.
In some embodiments, the viral vector is capable of infecting mammalian cells such as human cells (e.g human liver cells or HEK cells, HeLa or A549 or Hepatocytes). In some embodiments the viral vector is capable of infecting, entering, and/or fusing with mammalian cells, such as human cells. In some embodiments, all or a functional part (e.g., that capable of expressing a polypeptide described herein) of the polynucleotide of the viral vector integrates or is integrated into the genome of the cell contacted by a viral vector described herein. In some embodiments, all or a functional part of the polynucleotide of the viral vector is capable of persisting in an extrachromosomal state without integrating into the genome of the mammalian cell contacted with a viral vector described herein.
In some embodiments, the recombinant polynucleotide comprises a vector or a plasmid that encodes viral proteins and/or a human ENPP1. In some embodiments, the recombinant polynucleotide comprises a vector or a plasmid that encodes viral proteins and/or a human ENPP3. In some embodiments, the vector or said plasmid is capable of expressing the encoded polypeptide comprising an Azurocidin signal peptide fused to ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (ENPP1) or to ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-3 (ENPP3).
In some embodiments, the encoded polypeptide comprises an Azurocidin signal peptide fused to ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (ENPP1) comprises a transmembrane domain, a somatomedin domain, catalytic domain and a nuclease domain.
In some embodiments, the encoded polypeptide comprises an Azurocidin signal peptide fused to ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (ENPP1) is secreted into the cytosol.
In some embodiments, the recombinant polynucleotide encoding polypeptide comprises a transmembrane domain fused to ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (ENPP1) is not secreted and is membrane bound.
In some embodiments, the disclosure provides a recombinant polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (ENPP1) In some embodiments the polypeptide comprising ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (ENPP1) comprises amino acid residues of SEQ ID NO: 1.
In some embodiments, the encoded polypeptide comprises an Azurocidin signal peptide fused to ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (ENPP1)
In some embodiments, the encoded polypeptide comprising an Azurocidin signal peptide fused to ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (ENPP1) lacks polyaspartic domain or negatively charged bone targeting domain.
In some embodiments, the vector is a viral vector. In some embodiments the viral vector is an Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector. In some embodiments, any of the polynucleotides described herein encodes the Azurocidin signal peptide fused to the ENPP1 or Azurocidin signal peptide fused to the ENPP3 and the ENPP1 or the ENPP3 fused to an Fc polypeptide to form in amino to carboxy terminal order Azurocidin signal peptide-ENPP1-Fc or Azurocidin signal peptide-ENPP3-Fc, respectively.
In some embodiments, the recombinant polynucleotide encodes the Azurocidin signal peptide fused to ENPP1 or the Azurocidin signal peptide fused to ENPP3 and the ENPP1 or the ENPP3 fused to human serum albumin to form in amino to carboxy terminal order Azurocidin signal peptide-ENPP1-albumin or Azurocidin signal peptide-ENPP3-albumin, respectively.
In some embodiments, the Fc or albumin sequence is fused directly to the C terminus of the ENPP1 or ENPP3 protein. In some embodiments, the Fc or albumin sequence is fused through a linker, such as a flexible linker to the C terminus of the ENPP1 or ENPP3 protein. In some embodiments, the linker is selected from SEQ ID No: 57-88.
In some embodiments, the viral vector comprising and capable of expressing a nucleic acid sequence encoding a signal peptide fused to the N-terminus of ENPP1 or ENPP3. In some embodiments of the viral vector, the vector comprises a promoter. In some embodiments of the viral vector, the promoter is a liver specific promoter.
In some embodiments of the viral vector, the liver specific promoter is selected from the group consisting of: albumin promoter, phosphoenol pyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) promoter and alpha-1-antitrypsin promoter. In some embodiments of the viral vector, the vector comprises a sequence encoding a polyadenylation signal.
In some embodiments of the viral vector, the signal peptide is an Azurocidin signal peptide. In some embodiments of the viral vector, the viral vector is an Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector. In some embodiments of the viral vector, the AAV vector having a serotype is selected from the group consisting of: AAV1, AAV2, AAV3, AAV4, AAV5, AAV6, AAV7, AAV8, AAV9, and AAV-rh74.
In some embodiments of the viral vector, the polynucleotide of the invention encodes Azurocidin signal peptide fused to ENPP1 or Azurocidin signal peptide fused to ENPP3, and the ENPP1 or the ENPP3 fused to an Fc polypeptide to form in amino to carboxy terminal order Azurocidin signal peptide-ENPP1-Fc or Azurocidin signal peptide-ENPP3-Fc, respectively.
In some embodiments of the viral vector, the polynucleotide encodes Azurocidin signal peptide fused to ENPP1 or Azurocidin signal peptide fused to ENPP3, and the ENPP1 or the ENPP3 fused to human serum albumin to form in amino to carboxy terminal order Azurocidin signal peptide-ENPP1-albumin or Azurocidin signal peptide-ENPP3-albumin, respectively.
In yet another aspect, the disclosure provides a cell (e.g., a mammalian cell, such as a rodent cell, a non-human primate cell, or a human cell) comprising any of the polynucleotides described herein.
In some embodiments, the invention also provides a method of obtaining a recombinant viral vector comprising the steps of:
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a method of producing a recombinant viral vector. The method comprises:
In some embodiments, the method comprises purifying the viral vector from the cell or population of cells, or from the media in which the cell or population of cells were maintained.
In some embodiments, the cell is a mammalian cell, such as a rodent cell (e.g., rat cell, mouse cell, hamster cell), non-human primate cell, or a human cell (e.g., HEK293, HeLa or A549).
In some embodiments, the method further comprises introducing into the cell or population of cells a recombinant nucleic acid encoding one or more viral proteins (such as those that are essential for packaging or assembly of a viral vector), e.g., infecting the cell or population of cells with a helper virus containing such recombinant nucleic acid, transfection or the cell or population of cells with a helper plasmids comprising such recombinant nucleic acid, and the like.
In some embodiments, the viral vector is capable of expressing one or more polypeptides described herein upon infection in a target cell.
In some embodiments, the disclosure provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising the purified viral vector as described herein. In some embodiments, the disclosure provides a sterile pharmaceutical composition comprising the sterile/endotoxin free purified viral vector as described herein.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a viral vector obtained and purified by the any of the methods described herein.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising any of the viral vectors obtained and purified by any of the methods described herein.
In certain embodiments, the invention provides a method of providing ENPP1 or ENPP3 to a mammal, the method comprising administering to the mammal a viral vector of the invention.
In certain embodiments, the disclosure provides a method of expressing ENPP1 or ENPP3 in a mammal (e.g., a human, such as a human in need of such expression), the method comprising administering to the mammal any of the viral vectors described herein. Prior to, at the same time as, and/or following administration of the viral vector to the mammal, the method can further include detecting and/or measuring in a biological sample obtained from the mammal one or more of the following parameters: expression of ENPP1 and/or ENPP3, levels of activity of ENPP1 and/or ENPP3, and/or pyrophosphate levels or concentration. In some embodiments, the one or more parameters are detected or measured within a week, 1-2 weeks, and/or within a month, following administration of the viral vector to the mammal. In some embodiments, the mammal (e.g., a human) is one with an ENPP1 or ABCC6 deficiency.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising any of the viral vectors as described herein and a physiologically compatible carrier.
In some embodiments, the disclosure provides a method of preventing or reducing the progression of a condition or disease in a mammal in need thereof, the method comprising administering to said mammal a therapeutically effective amount of a composition according to the invention, wherein the condition or disease includes, without limitation, one or more of the following: a deficiency of NPP1, a low level of PPi, a progressive disorder characterized by accumulation of deposits of calcium and other minerals in arterial and/or connective tissues, ectopic calcification of soft tissue, arterial or venous calcification, calcification of heart tissue, such as aorta tissue and coronary tissue, Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE), X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH), Chronic kidney disease (CKD), Mineral bone disorders (MBD), vascular calcification, pathological calcification of soft tissue, pathological ossification of soft tissue, Generalized arterial calcification of infants (GACI), and Ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL), whereby said disease in said mammal is prevented or its progress reduced.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a method of treating, preventing, and/or ameliorating a disease or disorder of pathological calcification or pathological ossification in a subject in need thereof, the method comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of any of the viral vectors described herein, thereby treating, preventing, or ameliorating said disease or disorder. In some embodiments, the viral vector comprises a polynucleotide encoding a human ENPP1 or a human ENPP3 polypeptide.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a method of treating a subject having an ENPP1 protein deficiency, the method comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of a viral vector which encodes a recombinant ENPP1 or ENPP3 polypeptide to a subject, thereby treating the subject. In one aspect of the invention, the viral vector encodes a human ENPP1 or a human ENPP3 polypeptide.
In another aspect, the subject has a disease or disorder or an ENPP1 protein deficiency that is associated with a loss of function mutation in an NPP1 gene of the subject or a loss of function mutation in an ABCC6 gene of the subject.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, the viral vector is an AAV vector encoding ENPP1-Fc fusion polypeptide, and the vector is administered to a subject at a dosage of 1×1012 to 1×1015 vg/kg, preferably 1×1013 to 1×1014 vg/kg.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, the viral vector is an AAV vector encoding ENPP1-Fc fusion polypeptide, and the vector is administered to a subject at a dosage of 5×1011-5×1015 vg/kg.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, the viral vector is an AAV vector encoding ENPP1-Fc fusion polypeptide, and approximately 1×1012-1×1015 vg/kg per subject is administered for delivering and expressing an ENPP1-Fc polypeptide.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, the viral vector is an AAV vector encoding ENPP3-Fc fusion polypeptide, and the vector is administered to a subject at a dosage of 1×1012 to 1×1015 vg/kg, preferably 1×1013 to 1×1014 vg/kg.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, the viral vector is an AAV vector encoding ENPP3-Fc fusion polypeptide, and the vector is administered to a subject at a dosage of 5×1011-5×1015 vg/kg.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, the viral vector is an AAV vector encoding ENPP3-Fc fusion polypeptide, and approximately 1×1012-1×1015 vg/kg per subject is administered for delivering and expressing an ENPP3-Fc polypeptide.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, administration of AAV vectors encoding an ENPP1-Fc polypeptide to a subject produces a dose dependent increase in plasma pyrophosphate (PPi) and a dose dependent increase in plasma ENPP1 concentration in said subject.
Prior to, at the same time as, and/or following administration of the viral vector to the mammal, any of the methods described herein can further include detecting and/or measuring in a biological sample obtained from the mammal one or more of the following parameters: expression of ENPP1 and/or ENPP3, levels of activity of ENPP1 and/or ENPP3, and/or pyrophosphate levels or concentration. In some embodiments, the one or more parameters are detected or measured within a week, 1-2 weeks, and/or within a month, following administration of the viral vector to the mammal.
In yet another aspect, the disclosure provides a method of treating or preventing a disease or disorder of pathological calcification or pathological ossification in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of a viral vector which encodes a recombinant ENPP1 or ENPP3 polypeptide to said subject, thereby treating or preventing said disease or disorder.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a method of treating a subject having an ENPP1 protein deficiency, comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of a viral vector which encodes a recombinant ENPP1 or ENPP3 polypeptide to said subject, thereby treating said subject.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, said disease or disorder or said ENPP1 protein deficiency is associated with a loss of function mutation in an NPP1 gene or a loss of function mutation in an ABCC6 gene in said subject.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, said viral vector encodes recombinant ENPP1 polypeptide.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, said viral vector encodes recombinant ENPP3 polypeptide.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, said viral vector encodes a recombinant ENPP1-Fc fusion polypeptide or a recombinant ENPP1-albumin fusion polypeptide.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, said viral vector encodes a recombinant ENPP3-Fc fusion polypeptide or a recombinant ENPP3-albumin fusion polypeptide.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, said viral vector encodes a recombinant polypeptide comprising a signal peptide fused to ENPP1 or ENPP3.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, said vector encodes ENPP1-Fc or ENPP1-albumin.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, said signal peptide is an azurocidin signal peptide, an NPP2 signal peptide, or an NPP7 signal peptide.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, the viral vector is Adeno-Associated Viral Vector, or Herpes Simplex Vector, or Alphaviral Vector, or Lentiviral Vectors.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, the serotype of Adeno-Associated viral vector (AAV) is AAV1, or AAV2, or AAV3, or AAV4, or AAV5, or AAV6, or AAV7, or AAV8, or AAV9, or AAV-rh74.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, the viral vector is an Adeno-Associated viral (AAV) vector encoding a recombinant polypeptide comprising an Azurocidin signal peptide fused to ENPP1-Fc fusion polypeptide.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, said AAV vector encoding said ENPP1-Fc fusion polypeptide is administered to subjects at a dosage of 1×1012 to 1×1015 vg/kg.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, said dosage is 1×1013 to 1×1014 vg/kg.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, said AAV vector is administered to a subject at a dosage of 5×1011-5×1015 vg/kg.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, said vector is an AAV vector encoding ENPP1-Fc and is administered to a subject at dosage of 1×1012-1×1015 vg/kg.
In some embodiments of any of the aforesaid methods, wherein administration of said AAV vector encoding ENPP1-Fc polypeptide to a subject produces a dose dependent increase in plasma pyrophosphate (PPi) and a dose dependent increase in plasma ENPP1 concentration in said subject.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, a subject is a mammal, but is not limited to a mammal. In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, a mammal includes, but is not limited to a human, mouse, rat, horse, cat and a dog.
In another aspect, the disclosure features a viral vector comprising a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising the catalytic domain of an ENPP1 or an ENPP3 protein.
In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, polypeptide comprises the extracellular domain of an ENPP1 or ENPP3 protein.
In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, the polypeptide comprises the transmembrane domain of an ENPP1 or ENPP3 protein.
In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, the polypeptide comprises the nuclease domain of an ENPP1 or ENPP3 protein.
In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, the polypeptide comprises residues 99-925 (Pro Ser Cys to Gln Glu Asp) of SEQ ID NO: 1.
In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, the polypeptide comprises residues 31-875 (Leu Leu Val to Thr Thr Ile) of SEQ ID NO: 7.
In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, the polypeptide comprises residues 191-591 (Val Glu Glu to Gly Ser Leu) of SEQ ID NO: 1.
In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, the polypeptide comprises residues 140-510 (Leu Glu Glu to Glu Val Glu) of SEQ ID NO: 7.
In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, the polypeptide comprises residues 1-827 (Pro Ser Cys to Gln Glu Asp) of SEQ ID NO: 92.
In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, the polypeptide comprises residues 1-833 (Phe Thr Ala to Gln Glu Asp) of SEQ ID NO: 89 or residues 1-830 (Gly Leu Lys to Gln Glu Asp) of SEQ ID NO: 91 In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, the viral vector is not an insect viral vector.
In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, the viral vector infects or is capable of infecting mammalian cells.
In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, the polynucleotide encodes a promoter sequence.
In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, said promoter is a liver specific promoter.
In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, the liver specific promoter is selected from the group consisting of: albumin promoter, phosphoenol pyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) promoter, and alpha-1-antitrypsin promoter.
In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, the polynucleotide comprises a nucleotide sequence encoding a polyadenylation signal.
In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, the polynucleotide encodes a signal peptide amino-terminal to nucleotide sequence encoding the ENPP1 or ENPP3 protein.
In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, the signal peptide is an Azurocidin signal peptide.
In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, the viral vector is an Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector.
In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, said AAV vector has a serotype selected from the group consisting of: AAV1, AAV2, AAV3, AAV4, AAV5, AAV6, AAV7, AAV8, AAV9, and AAV-rh74.
In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, said polynucleotide encodes said Azurocidin signal peptide fused to said ENPP1 or said Azurocidin signal peptide fused to said ENPP3, and said ENPP1 or said ENPP3 fused to an Fc polypeptide to form in amino to carboxy terminal order Azurocidin signal peptide-ENPP1-Fc or Azurocidin signal peptide-ENPP3-Fc, respectively.
In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, said polynucleotide encodes said Azurocidin signal peptide fused to said ENPP1 or said Azurocidin signal peptide fused to said ENPP3, and said ENPP1 or said ENPP3 fused to human serum albumin to form in amino to carboxy terminal order Azurocidin signal peptide-ENPP1-albumin or Azurocidin signal peptide-ENPP3-albumin, respectively.
In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, the polypeptide is a fusion protein comprising: (i) an ENPP1 protein or an ENPP3 protein and (ii) a half-life extending domain.
In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, the half-life extending domain is an IgG Fc domain or a functional fragment of the IgG Fc domain capable of extending the half-life of the polypeptide in a mammal, relative to the half-life of the polypeptide in the absence of the IgG Fc domain or functional fragment thereof.
In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, the half-life extending domain is an albumin domain or a functional fragment of the albumin domain capable of extending the half-life of the polypeptide in a mammal, relative to the half-life of the polypeptide in the absence of the albumin domain or functional fragment thereof.
In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, the half-life extending domain is carboxyterminal to the ENPP1 or ENPP3 protein in the fusion protein.
In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, the IgG Fe domain comprises the amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 34 In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, the albumin domain comprises the amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 35 In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, the polynucleotide encodes a linker sequence.
In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, the linker sequence is selected from the group consisting of SINs: 57 to 88.
In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, the linker sequence joins the ENPP1 or ENPP3 protein and the half-life extending domain of the fusion protein.
In some embodiments of any of the viral vectors described herein, the polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence depicted in SEQ ID NO: 89, 91, 92 and 93.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a method for producing a recombinant viral vector, the method comprising:
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, the mammalian cell is a rodent cell or a human cell.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, the viral vector is any one of the viral vectors described herein.
In some embodiments, any of the methods described herein can further comprise purifying the recombinant viral vector from the cell or population of cells, or from the media in which the cell or population of cells were maintained.
In another aspect, the disclosure features the recombinant viral vector purified from the methods for producing and/or purifying a recombinant viral vector described herein.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising any one of the viral vectors or recombinant viral vectors described herein and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
In yet another aspect, the disclosure provides a method of preventing or reducing the progression of a disease in a mammal in need thereof, the method comprising: administering to said mammal a therapeutically effective amount of any one of the pharmaceutical compositions described herein to thereby prevent or reduce the progression of the disease or disorder.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, the mammal is a human.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, the disease is selected from the group consisting of: X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH), Chronic kidney disease (CKD), Mineral bone disorders (MBD), vascular calcification, pathological calcification of soft tissue, pathological ossification of soft tissue, PXE, Generalized arterial calcification of infants (GACI), and Ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL).
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a method of treating or preventing a disease or disorder of pathological calcification or pathological ossification in a subject in need thereof, the method comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of any one of the viral vectors or pharmaceutical compositions described herein, thereby treating or preventing said disease or disorder.
In another aspect, the disclosure features a method of treating a subject having an ENPP1 protein deficiency, the method comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of any one of the viral vectors or pharmaceutical compositions described herein, thereby treating said subject.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, said disease or disorder or said ENPP1 protein deficiency is associated with a loss of function mutation in an NPP1 gene or a loss of function mutation in an ABCC6 gene in said subject.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, the viral vector or pharmaceutical composition is administered at a dosage of 1×1012 to 1×1015 vg/kg of the subject or mammal.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, the viral vector or pharmaceutical composition is administered at a dosage of 1×1013 to 1×1014 vg/kg of the subject or mammal.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, the viral vector or pharmaceutical composition is administered at a dosage of 5×1011-5×1015 vg/kg of the subject or mammal.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, the viral vector or pharmaceutical composition is administered at a dosage of 1×1012-1×1015 vg/kg of the subject or mammal.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, administration of said viral vector or pharmaceutical composition to the subject or mammal increases plasma pyrophosphate (PPi) and/or plasma ENPP1 or ENPP3 concentration in said subject or mammal.
In some embodiments, any of the aforesaid methods can further comprise detecting or measuring in a biological sample obtained from the subject or mammal one or more of the following parameters: (i) the concentration of pyrophosphate, (ii) the expression level of ENPP1 or ENPP3, and (iii) the enzymatic activity of ENPP1 or ENPP3.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, the detecting or measuring occurs before administering the viral vector or pharmaceutical composition.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a method for correcting a bone defect in an Enpp1 deficient subject or in an Enpp3 deficient subject or in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering to said subject a therapeutically effective amount of any one of the viral vectors or pharmaceutical compositions described herein, in an amount effective to correct said bone defect, thereby correcting said bone defect.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a method for restoring growth plate structure in an Enpp1 deficient subject or in an Enpp3 deficient subject or in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering to said subject a therapeutically effective amount of any one of the viral vectors or pharmaceutical compositions described herein, in an amount effective to restore growth plate structure, thereby restoring growth plate structure in said subject.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a method for inhibiting the development of abnormal osteoblast function in an Enpp1 deficient subject or in an Enpp3 deficient subject or in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering to said subject a therapeutically effective amount of any one of the viral vectors or pharmaceutical compositions described herein, in an amount effective to inhibit the development of abnormal osteoblast function in said subject, thereby inhibiting the development of abnormal osteoblast function in said subject.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a method for increasing bone formation rate in in an Enpp1 deficient subject or in an Enpp3 deficient subject or in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering to said subject a therapeutically effective amount of any one of the viral vectors or pharmaceutical compositions described herein, in an amount effective to increase bone formation, thereby increasing bone formation in said subject.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a method for increasing osteoblast surface in an Enpp1 deficient subject or in an Enpp3 deficient subject or in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering to said subject a therapeutically effective amount of any one of the viral vectors or pharmaceutical compositions described herein, in an amount effective to increase osteoblast surface, thereby increasing osteoblast surface in said subject.
In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, the viral vector is administered in a single dose. In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, the viral vector is administered in two or more doses.
In some embodiments of the methods described herein for correcting a bone defect in an Enpp1 deficient subject or in an Enpp3 deficient subject or in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering to said subject a therapeutically effective amount of any one of the viral vectors or pharmaceutical compositions described herein, in an amount effective to correct said bone defect, thereby correcting said bone defect, the correction is displayed in said subject as an increase of one or more of the group consisting of bone length, intrabecular number, cortical thickness, trabecular thickness, trabecular bone volume, bone formation rate and osteoblast surface.
In some embodiments of the methods described herein for correcting a bone defect in an Enpp1 deficient subject or in an Enpp3 deficient subject or in a subject in need thereof, including restoring growth plate structure and inhibiting the expression of the rachitic phenotype, is displayed in said subject as an increase of one or more of the group consisting of: bone length, intrabecular number, cortical thickness, trabecular thickness, trabecular bone volume, bone formation rate and osteoblast surface.
In some embodiments of the methods described herein for correcting a bone defect in an Enpp1 deficient subject or in an Enpp3 deficient subject or in a subject in need thereof, said correction, is detected via noninvasive imaging. In some aspects of the methods disclosed herein, the noninvasive imaging comprises dynamic histomorphometric analysis. In some embodiments of any of the methods described herein, including methods described herein for correcting a bone defect in an Enpp1 deficient subject or in an Enpp3 deficient subject or in a subject in need thereof, detection of the correction is relative to a phenotype or measurement displayed prior to administration of a therapeutically effective amount of any one of the viral vectors or pharmaceutical compositions described herein, to said subject. Indices of correction include an increase of bone length preferably of at least 0.1 mm and ranges from 0.1 mm up to 5 mm; an increase of intrabecular number, preferably comprising an increase of at least one intrabecular unit up to 6 units; an increase of trabecular thickness, preferably comprising an increase of at least 0.005 mm up to 0.04 mm, an increase of cortical thickness, preferably comprising an increase of at least 0.01 mm up to 0.3 mm, and increase of trabecular bone volume, preferably comprising an increase of at least 0.01 BV/TV (trabecular bone volume/total bone volume), and increase of bone formation rate, preferably comprising an increase of at least 1 mm3/mm2/year up to 300 mm3/mm2/year; and an increase of osteoblast surface, preferably comprising a statistically significant increase.
In another aspect, the disclosure features a non-viral vector comprising a recombinant nucleic acid encoding a polypeptide comprising the catalytic domain of an ENPP1 or an ENPP3 protein.
In some embodiments of any of the non-viral vectors described herein, polypeptide comprises the extracellular domain of an ENPP1 or ENPP3 protein.
In some embodiments of any of the non-viral vectors described herein, the polypeptide comprises the transmembrane domain of an ENPP1 or ENPP3 protein.
In some embodiments of any of the non-viral vectors described herein, the polypeptide comprises the nuclease domain of an ENPP1 or ENPP3 protein.
In some embodiments of any of the non-viral vectors described herein, the polypeptide comprises residues 99-925 (Pro Ser Cys to Gln Glu Asp) of SEQ ID NO: 1.
In some embodiments of any of the non-viral vectors described herein, the polypeptide comprises residues 31-875 (Leu Leu Val to Thr Thr Ile) of SEQ ID NO: 7.
In some embodiments of any of the non-viral vectors described herein, the polypeptide comprises residues 191-591 (Val Glu Glu to Gly Ser Leu) of SEQ ID NO: 1.
In some embodiments of any of the non-viral vectors described herein, the polypeptide comprises residues 140-510 (Leu Glu Glu to Glu Val Glu) of SEQ ID NO: 7.
In some embodiments of any of the non-viral vectors described herein, the polypeptide comprises residues 1-827 (Pro Ser Cys to Gln Glu Asp) of SEQ ID NO: 92.
In some embodiments of any of the non-viral vectors described herein, the polypeptide comprises residues 1-833 (Phe Thr Ala to Gln Glu Asp) of SEQ ID NO: 89 or residues 1-830 (Gly Leu Lys to Gln Glu Asp) of SEQ ID NO: 91
In some embodiments of any of the non-viral vectors described herein, the recombinant nucleic acid encodes a promoter sequence.
In some embodiments of any of the non-viral vectors described herein, said promoter is a liver specific promoter.
In some embodiments of any of the non-viral vectors described herein, the liver specific promoter is selected from the group consisting of: albumin promoter, phosphoenol pyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) promoter, and alpha-1-antitrypsin promoter.
In some embodiments of any of the non-viral vectors described herein, the recombinant nucleic acid comprises a nucleotide sequence encoding a polyadenylation signal.
In some embodiments of any of the non-viral vectors described herein, the recombinant nucleic acid encodes a signal peptide amino-terminal to nucleotide sequence encoding the ENPP1 or ENPP3 protein.
In some embodiments of any of non-the viral vectors described herein, the signal peptide is an Azurocidin signal peptide.
In some embodiments of any of the non-viral vectors described herein, the non-viral vector is a lipid nano particle (LPN).
In some embodiments of any of the non-viral vectors described herein, the non-viral vector is a peptide-based vector.
In some embodiments of any of the non-viral vectors described herein, the non-viral vector is a polymer-based vector.
In some embodiments of any of the non-viral vectors described herein, said recombinant nucleic acid encodes said Azurocidin signal peptide fused to said ENPP1 or said Azurocidin signal peptide fused to said ENPP3, and said ENPP1 or said ENPP3 fused to an Fc polypeptide to form in amino to carboxy terminal order Azurocidin signal peptide-ENPP1-Fc or Azurocidin signal peptide-ENPP3-Fe, respectively.
In some embodiments of any of the non-viral vectors described herein, said recombinant nucleic acid encodes said Azurocidin signal peptide fused to said ENPP1 or said Azurocidin signal peptide fused to said ENPP3, and said ENPP1 or said ENPP3 fused to human serum albumin to form in amino to carboxy terminal order Azurocidin signal peptide-ENPP1-albumin or Azurocidin signal peptide-ENPP3-albumin, respectively.
In some embodiments of any of the non-viral vectors described herein, the polypeptide is a fusion protein comprising: (i) an ENPP1 protein or an ENPP3 protein and (ii) a half-life extending domain.
In some embodiments of any of the non-viral vectors described herein, the half-life extending domain is an IgG Fe domain or a functional fragment of the IgG Fe domain capable of extending the half-life of the polypeptide in a mammal, relative to the half-life of the polypeptide in the absence of the IgG Fe domain or functional fragment thereof.
In some embodiments of any of the non-viral vectors described herein, the half-life extending domain is an albumin domain or a functional fragment of the albumin domain capable of extending the half-life of the polypeptide in a mammal, relative to the half-life of the polypeptide in the absence of the albumin domain or functional fragment thereof.
In some embodiments of any of the non-viral vectors described herein, the half-life extending domain is carboxyterminal to the ENPP1 or ENPP3 protein in the fusion protein.
In some embodiments of any of the non-viral vectors described herein, the IgG Fe domain comprises the amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 34 In some embodiments of any of the non-viral vectors described herein, the albumin domain comprises the amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 35 In some embodiments of any of the non-viral vectors described herein, the polynucleotide encodes a linker sequence.
In some embodiments of any of the non-viral vectors described herein, the linker sequence is selected from the group consisting of SINs: 57 to 88.
In some embodiments of any of the non-viral vectors described herein, the linker sequence joins the ENPP1 or ENPP3 protein and the half-life extending domain of the fusion protein.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a non-viral vector comprising recombinant nucleic acid encoding the catalytic domain of ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (ENPP1) polypeptide or the catalytic domain of ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-3 (ENPP3) polypeptide.
In some embodiments of the non-viral vector, wherein said recombinant nucleic acid further comprises a liver specific promoter.
In some embodiments of the non-viral vector, wherein the liver promoter is selected from the group consisting of liver promoter 1 (LP1) and hybrid liver promoter (HLP).
In some embodiments of the non-viral vector, wherein the said nucleic acid further encodes a signal peptide that is an Azurocidin signal peptide.
In some embodiments of any of the aforesaid non-viral vector, wherein the non-viral vector is selected from the group consisting of DNA/cationic lipid (lipoplexes), DNA/cationic polymer (polyplexes), DNA/cationic polymer/cationic lipid (lipopolyplexes), lipid nano particles (LPN), ionizable lipids, lipidoids, peptide-based vectors and polymer-based vectors.
In some embodiments of any of the aforesaid non-viral vector, wherein said non-viral vector is selected from the group consisting of lipoplexes, polyplexes, lipopolyplexes, ionizable lipids, lipidoids, lipid nano particles (LPN), peptide-based vectors and polymer-based vectors.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a method of providing ENPP1 or ENPP3 protein to a subject, the method comprising administering to said mammal any of the aforesaid non-viral vectors.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising anyone of the non-viral vector and a physiologically compatible carrier.
In another aspect the disclosure provides a method of preventing or reducing the progression of a disease in a subject, in need thereof, the method comprising administering to said mammal a therapeutically effective amount of the pharmaceutical composition of aforesaid non-viral vector, wherein the disease is selected from the group consisting of: X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH), Chronic kidney disease (CKD), Mineral bone disorders (MBD), vascular calcification, pathological calcification of soft tissue, pathological ossification of soft tissue, Generalized arterial calcification of infants (GACI), and Ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL), whereby said disease in said mammal is prevented or its progress reduced.
In another aspect the disclosure provides a method of treating or preventing a disease or disorder of pathological calcification or pathological ossification in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of the any of the aforesaid non-viral vector or the pharmaceutical composition of the non-viral vector, thereby treating or preventing said disease or disorder.
In another aspect the disclosure provides a method of treating a subject having an ENPP1 protein deficiency, comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of any of the aforesaid non-viral vector, or the pharmaceutical composition of the non-viral vector, thereby treating said subject.
In some embodiments of the method, wherein said disease or disorder or said ENPP1 protein deficiency is associated with a loss of function mutation in an NPP1 gene or a loss of function mutation in an ABCC6 gene in said subject.
In some embodiments of the method, wherein said non-viral vector comprises nucleic acid which encodes recombinant ENPP1 polypeptide.
In some embodiments of the method, wherein said non-viral vector comprises nucleic acid which encodes recombinant ENPP3 polypeptide.
In another aspect the disclosure provides a method of treating a subject having an ENPP1 protein deficiency, the method comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of any of the aforesaid non-viral vector or the aforesaid pharmaceutical composition of non-viral vector
In some embodiments of the method, wherein said disease or disorder or said ENPP1 protein deficiency is associated with a loss of function mutation in an NPP1 gene or a loss of function mutation in an ABCC6 gene in said subject.
In some embodiments of the method, wherein administration of said non-viral vector or pharmaceutical composition to the subject increases plasma pyrophosphate (PPi) and/or plasma ENPP1 or ENPP3 concentration in said subject.
In some embodiments of the method, further comprising detecting or measuring in a biological sample obtained from the subject one or more of the following parameters: (i) the concentration of pyrophosphate, (ii) the expression level of ENPP1 or ENPP3, and (iii) the enzymatic activity of ENPP1 or ENPP3.
In some embodiments of the method, wherein the detecting or measuring occurs before administering the non-viral vector or pharmaceutical composition.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a method for correcting a bone defect in an Enpp1 deficient subject, comprising administering to said subject any of the aforesaid non-viral vector in an amount effective to correct said bone defect, thereby correcting said bone defect.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a method for restoring growth plate structure in an Enpp1 deficient subject comprising administering to said subject any of the aforesaid non-viral vector in an amount effective to restore growth plate structure, thereby restoring growth plate structure in said subject.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a method for inhibiting the development of abnormal osteoblast function in an Enpp1 deficient subject, comprising administering to said subject any of the aforesaid non-viral vector in an amount effective to inhibit the development of abnormal osteoblast function in said subject, thereby inhibiting the development of abnormal osteoblast function in said subject.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a method for increasing bone formation rate in an Enpp1 deficient subject, comprising administering to said subject any of the aforesaid non-viral vectors in an amount effective to increase bone formation, thereby increasing bone formation in said subject.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a method for increasing osteoblast surface in an Enpp1 deficient subject, comprising administering to said subject any of the aforesaid non-viral vector in an amount effective to increase osteoblast surface, thereby increasing osteoblast surface in said subject.
In some embodiments of the method, wherein the correction is displayed in said subject as an increase of one or more of the group consisting of bone length, intrabecular number, cortical thickness, trabecular thickness, trabecular bone volume, bone formation rate and osteoblast surface.
In some embodiments of the method, wherein said correction, restoring, inhibiting and decreasing, respectively, is displayed in said subject as an increase of one or more of the group consisting of: bone length, intrabecular number, cortical thickness, trabecular thickness, trabecular bone volume, bone formation rate and osteoblast surface.
In some embodiments of the method, wherein said correction, restoring, inhibiting and decreasing, respectively, is detected via noninvasive imaging.
In some embodiments of the method, wherein said noninvasive imaging comprises dynamic histomorphometric analysis.
In some embodiments of the method, wherein said detection is relative to a detection prior to said administration to said subject.
The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.
The invention pertains to delivery of nucleic acid encoding mammal ENPP1 or mammal ENPP3 to a mammal having a deficiency in ENPP1 or ENPP3.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, illustrative methods and materials are described. As used herein, each of the following terms has the meaning associated with it in this section.
The articles “a” and “an” are used herein to refer to one or to more than one (i.e., to at least one) of the grammatical object of the article. By way of example, “an element” means one element or more than one element.
As used herein, the term “comprising” when directed to a composition or method or product means that the composition, method or product includes certain features, but does not exclude the presence of other features, as long as the presence of the other features do not render the respective composition or method or product nonfunctional for its intended use or purpose.
As used herein the term “consists of” when directed to a composition or method or product means that no further features are present in the composition, method or product apart from the ones recited.
As used herein, the term “consisting essentially of” or “comprising substantially” when directed to a composition or method or product means that the recited features are present and that specific additional features or elements also may be present, but the presence of the additional features or elements does not materially affect the essential characteristics or function of the composition, method, or product.
The following notation conventions are applied to the present disclosure for the sake of clarity. In any case, any teaching herein that does not follow this convention is still part of the present disclosure and can be fully understood in view of the context in which the teaching is disclosed. Protein symbols are disclosed in non-italicized capital letters. As non-limiting examples, ‘ENPP1’ refer to the protein. In certain embodiments, if the protein is a human protein, an ‘h’ is used before the protein symbol. In other embodiments, if the protein is a mouse protein, an ‘m’ is used before the symbol. Human ENPP1 is referred to as ‘hENPP1’, and mouse ENPP1 is referred to as ‘mENPP1’. Human gene symbols are disclosed in italicized capital letters. As a non-limiting example, the human gene corresponding to the protein hENPP1 is ENPP1. Mouse gene symbols are disclosed with the first letter in upper case and the remaining letters in lower case; further, the mouse gene symbol is italicized. As a non-limiting example, the mouse gene that makes the protein mEnpp1 is Enpp1. Notations about gene mutations are shown as uppercase text.
ENPP1 amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1 comprises cytoplasmic domain, transmembrane domain, SMB1 domain, SMB2 domain, phosphodiesterase/catalytic domain, linker domain and nuclease domain.
The SMB1 domain, SMB2 domain, catalytic domain, linker domain and the nuclease domain are jointly referred to as the extracellular domain. Residues 1-76 (Met Glu Arg to Thr Tyr Lys) correspond to the cytoplasmic domain. Residues 77-97 (Val Leu Ser to Phe Gly Leu) correspond to the transmembrane domain. Residues 99-925 (Pro Ser Cys to Gln Glu Asp) correspond to the extracellular domain. Residues 104-144 (Glu Val Lys to Glu Pro Glu) correspond to SMB1 domain and residues 145-189 (His Ile Trp to Glu Lys Ser) correspond to SMB2 domain. Residues 597-647 correspond to linker domain that connects catalytic and nuclease domains. Residues 191-591 (Val Glu Glu to Gly Ser Leu) correspond to the catalytic/phosphodiesterase domain. Residues 654-925 (His Glu Thr to Gln Glu Asp) correspond to the nuclease domain. The residue numbering and domain classification are based on human NPP1 sequence (NCBI accession NP_006199/Uniprot-Swissprot P22413)
ENPP3 amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 7 comprises cytoplasmic domain, transmembrane domain, phosphodiesterase/catalytic domain and Nuclease domain. The catalytic domain and the nuclease domain are jointly referred to as the extracellular domain. Residues 1-11 (Met Glu Ser to Ala Thr Glu) correspond to the cytoplasmic domain.
Residues 12-30 (Gln Pro Val to Leu Leu Ala) correspond to the transmembrane domain. Residues 31-875 (Leu Leu Val to Thr Thr Ile) correspond to the extracellular domain. Residues 140-510 (Leu Glu Glu to Glu Val Glu) correspond to the catalytic/phosphodiesterase domain. Residues 605 to 875 (Lys Val Asn to Thr Thr Ile) correspond to the nuclease domain. The residue numbering and domain classification are based on human NPP3 sequence (UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot: O14638.2)
“Reduction of calcification”: As used herein, reduction of calcification is observed by using non-invasive methods like X-rays, micro CT and MRI. Reduction of calcification is also inferred by using radio imaging with 99mTc-pyrophosphate (99mPYP) uptake. The presence of calcifications in mice are evaluated via post-mortem by micro-computed tomography (CT) scans and histologic sections taken from the heart, aorta and kidneys with the use of dyes such as Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) and Alizarin red by following protocols established by Braddock et al. (Nature Communications volume 6, Article number: 10006 (2015))
“Enzymatically active” with respect to ENPP1 or ENPP3: is defined as possessing ATP hydrolytic activity into AMP and PPi and/or AP3a hydrolysis to ATP, possessing substrate binding activity.
ATP hydrolytic activity may be determined as follows.
ATP Hydrolytic Activity of NPP1
NPP1 readily hydrolyzes ATP into AMP and PPi. The steady-state Michaelis-Menten enzymatic constants of NPP1 are determined using ATP as a substrate. NPP1 can be demonstrated to cleave ATP by HPLC analysis of the enzymatic reaction, and the identity of the substrates and products of the reaction are confirmed by using ATP, AMP, and ADP standards. The ATP substrate degrades over time in the presence of NPP1, with the accumulation of the enzymatic product AMP. Using varying concentrations of ATP substrate, the initial rate velocities for NPP1 are derived in the presence of ATP, and the data is fit to a curve to derive the enzymatic rate constants. At physiologic pH, the kinetic rate constants of NPP1 are Km=144 μM and kcatt=7.8 s−1.
ATP Hydrolytic Activity of NPP3
The enzymatic activity of NPP3 was measured with pNP-TMP or ATP as substrates. The NPP3 protein was incubated at 37° C. in the presence of 100 mM Tris-HCl at pH 8.9 and either 5 mM pNP-TMP or 50 μM [γ-32P] ATP. The hydrolysis of pNP-TMP was stopped by a 10-fold dilution in 3% (w/v) trichloroacetic acid. Subsequently, the reaction mixture was neutralized with 60 μl 5 N NaOH and the formed p-nitrophenol (pNP) was quantified colorimetrically at 405 nm. The hydrolysis of ATP was arrested by the addition of 100 mM EDTA. One μl of the reaction mixture was analyzed by thin-layer chromatography on polyethyleneimine cellulose plates (Merck). Nucleotides and degradation products were separated by ascending chromatography in 750 mM KH2PO4 at pH 3.0. Radioactive spots were visualized by autoradiography. The nucleotidylated intermediate, formed during the hydrolysis of 50 μM [α-32P] ATP, was trapped according to Blytt et al. (H. J. Blytt, J. E. Brotherton, L. Butler Anal. Biochem. 147 (1985), pp. 517-520), with slight modifications (R. Gijsbers, H. Ceulemans, W. Stalmans, M. Bollen J. Biol. Chem., 276 (2001), pp. 1361-1368). Following SDS-PAGE, the trapped intermediate was visualized by autoradiography. Bis-pNPP and pNPP were also tested as substrates for NPP3. The NPP3 isoforms were incubated in 100 mM Tris-HCl at pH 8.9 and either 5 mM bis-pNPP or pNPP for 2.5 h at 37° C. Subsequently, the formed pNP was quantified colorimetrically at 405 nm. (Gijsbers R I, Aoki J, Arai H, Bollen M, FEBS Lett. 2003 Mar. 13; 538(1-3):60-4.) At physiologic pH, NPP3 has a kcat value of about 2.59 (±0.04) s−1 and Km (<8 μM) values similar to ENPP1. (WO 2017/087936)
HPLC Protocol
The HPLC protocol used to measure ATP cleavage by NPP1, and for product identification, is modified from the literature (Stocchi et al., 1985, Anal. Biochem. 146:118-124). The reactions containing varying concentrations of ATP in 50 mM Tris pH 8.0, 140 mM NaCl, 5 mM KCl, 1 mM MgCl2 and 1 mM CaCl2) buffer are started by addition of 0.2-1 μM NPP1 and quenched at various time points by equal volume of 3M formic acid, or 0.5N KOH and re-acidified by glacial acetic acid to pH 6. The quenched reaction solution is diluted systematically, loaded onto a HPLC system (Waters, Milford Mass.), and substrates and products are monitored by UV absorbance at 254 or 259 nm. Substrates and products are separated on a C18, 5 um 250×4.6 mm HPLC column (Higgins Analytical, Mountain View, Calif.), using 15 mM ammonium acetate pH 6.0 solution, with a 0% to 10% (or 20%) methanol gradient. The products and substrate are quantified according to the integration of their correspondent peaks and the formula:
A “deficiency” of NPP1 refers to a condition in which the subject has less than or equal to 5%-10% of normal levels of NPP1 in blood plasma. Normal levels of NPP1 in healthy human subjects is approximately between 10 to 30 ng/ml. (Am J Pathol. 2001 February; 158(2): 543-554.)
A “low” level of PPi refers to a condition in which the subject has less than or equal to 2%-5% of normal levels of plasma pyrophosphate (PPi). Normal levels of Plasma PPi in healthy human subjects is approximately 1.8 to 2.6 μM. (Arthritis and Rheumatism, Vol. 22, No. 8 (August 1979))
“Ectopic calcification” refers to a condition characterized by a pathologic deposition of calcium salts in tissues or bone growth in soft tissues.
“Ectopic calcification of soft tissue” refers to inappropriate biomineralization, typically composed of calcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite, calcium oxalates and octacalcium phosphates occurring in soft tissues leading to loss of hardening of soft tissues. “Arterial calcification” refers to ectopic calcification that occurs in arteries and heart valves leading to hardening and or narrowing of arteries. Calcification in arteries is correlated with atherosclerotic plaque burden and increased risk of myocardial infarction, increased ischemic episodes in peripheral vascular disease, and increased risk of dissection following angioplasty.
“Venous calcification” refers to ectopic calcification that occurs in veins that reduces the elasticity of the veins and restricts blood flow which can then lead to increase in blood pressure and coronary defects
“Vascular calcification” refers to the pathological deposition of mineral in the vascular system. It has a variety of forms, including intimal calcification and medial calcification, but can also be found in the valves of the heart. Vascular calcification is associated with atherosclerosis, diabetes, certain heredity conditions, and kidney disease, especially CKD. Patients with vascular calcification are at higher risk for adverse cardiovascular events. Vascular calcification affects a wide variety of patients. Idiopathic infantile arterial calcification is a rare form of vascular calcification where the arteries of neonates calcify.
“Brain calcification” (BC) refers to a nonspecific neuropathology wherein deposition of calcium and other mineral in blood vessel walls and tissue parenchyma occurs leading to neuronal death and gliosis. Brain calcification is” often associated with various chronic and acute brain disorders including Down's syndrome, Lewy body disease, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, vascular dementia, brain tumors, and various endocrinologic conditions
Calcification of heart tissue refers to accumulation of deposits of calcium (possibly including other minerals) in tissues of the heart, such as aorta tissue and coronary tissue.
“Chronic kidney disease (CKD)” As used herein, the term refers to abnormalities of kidney structure or function that persist for more than three months with implications for health. Generally excretory, endocrine and metabolic functions decline together in most chronic kidney diseases. Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and vascular calcification is one of the strongest predictors of cardiovascular risk. With decreasing kidney function, the prevalence of vascular calcification increases, and calcification occurs years earlier in CKD patients than in the general population. Preventing, reducing and/or reversing vascular calcification may result in increased survival in patients with CKD.
Clinical symptoms of chronic kidney diseases include itching, muscle cramps, nausea, lack of appetite, swelling of feet and ankles, sleeplessness and labored breathing. Chronic kidney disease if left untreated tends to progress into End stage renal disease (ESRD). Common symptoms of ESRD include an inability to urinate, fatigue, malaise, weight loss, bone pain, changes in skin color, a frequent formation of bruises, and edema of outer extremities like fingers, toes, hands and legs. Calciphylaxis or calcific uremic arteriolopathy (CUA) is a condition that causes calcium to build up inside the blood vessels of the fat and skin. A subpopulation of patients suffering from ESRD can also develop Calciphylaxis. Common symptoms of Calciphylaxis include large purple net-like patterns on skin, deep and painful lumps that ulcerate creating open sores with black-brown crust that fails to heal, skin lesions on the lower limbs or areas with higher fat content, such as thighs, breasts, buttocks, and abdomen. A person with calciphylaxis may have higher than normal levels of calcium (hypercalcemia) and phosphate (hyperphosphatemia) in the blood. They may also have symptoms of hyperparathyroidism. Hyperparathyroidism occurs when the parathyroid glands make excess parathyroid hormone (PTH). Reduced plasma pyrophosphate (PPi) levels are also present in vascular calcification associated with end stage renal disease (ESRD).
Vascular calcifications associated with ESRD contributes to poor outcomes by increasing pulse pressure, causing or exacerbating hypertension, and inducing or intensifying myocardial infarctions and strokes. Most patients with ESRD do not die of renal failure, but from the cardiovascular complications of ESRD, and it is important to note that many very young patients with ESRD on dialysis possess coronary artery calcifications. The histologic subtype of vascular calcification associated with CKD is known as Mönckeburg's sclerosis, which is a form of vessel hardening in which calcium deposits are found in the muscular layers of the medial vascular wall. This form of calcification is histologically distinct from intimal or neo-intimal vascular wall calcification commonly observed in atherosclerosis but identical to the vascular calcifications observed in human CKD patients, and in the rodent models of the disease described herein.
“Generalized arterial calcification of infants (GACI)” (also known as IACI)”, as used herein, refers to a disorder affecting the circulatory system that becomes apparent before birth or within the first few months of life. It is characterized by abnormal accumulation of the mineral calcium (calcification) in the walls of the blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body (the arteries). Calcification often occurs along with thickening of the lining of the arterial walls (the intima). These changes lead to narrowing (stenosis) and stiffness of the arteries, which forces the heart to work harder to pump blood. As a result, heart failure may develop in affected individuals, with signs and symptoms including difficulty breathing, accumulation of fluid (edema) in the extremities, a bluish appearance of the skin or lips (cyanosis), severe high blood pressure (hypertension), and an enlarged heart (cardiomegaly). People with GACI may also have calcification in other organs and tissues, particularly around the joints. In addition, they may have hearing loss or softening and weakening of the bones referred to as rickets.
General arterial calcification (GACI) or Idiopathic Infantile Arterial Calcification (IIAC) characterized by abnormal accumulation of the mineral calcium (calcification) in the walls of the blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body (the arteries). The calcification often occurs along with thickening of the lining of the arterial walls (the intima). These changes lead to narrowing (stenosis) and stiffness of the arteries, which forces the heart to work harder to pump blood. As a result, heart failure may develop in affected individuals, with signs and symptoms including difficulty breathing, accumulation of fluid (edema) in the extremities, a bluish appearance of the skin or lips (cyanosis), severe high blood pressure (hypertension), and an enlarged heart (cardiomegaly).
“Arterial calcification” or “Vascular calcification” or “hardening of arteries”, As used herein, the term refers to a process characterized by thickening and loss of elasticity of muscular arteries walls. The thickening and loss of elasticity occurs in two distinct sites, the intimal and medial layers of the vasculatures (Medial vascular calcification). Intimal calcification is associated with atherosclerotic plaques and medial calcification is characterized by vascular stiffening and arteriosclerosis. This results in a reduction of arterial elasticity and an increased propensity for morbidity and mortality due to the impairment of the cardiovascular system's hemodynamics.
“Bone formation rate” is the amount of new bone formed in unit time per unit of bone surface. It is amount of new bone formed in unit time per unit of bone surface and is calculated by multiplying the mineralizing surface by the mineral apposition rate.
“Cortical thickness” ranges between 0.5 and 2.25 mm, with an average thickness of slightly more than 1.28 mm. Cortical bone is the dense outer surface of bone that forms a protective layer around the internal cavity. This type of bone, also known as compact bone, makes up nearly 80% of skeletal mass and is imperative to body structure and weight bearing because of its high resistance to bending and torsion.
Trabecular bone is a highly porous (typically 75-95%) form of bone tissue that is organized into a network of interconnected rods and plates called trabeculae which surround pores that are filled with bone marrow. “Trabecular bone thicknesses” ranges from 200 and 400 m and the structure varies depending on the bone function and location in the body. “Trabecular Number” is the number of trabeculae per unit of length. The unit of measurement is mm−1.
“Bone Volume (BV TV)” encompasses is the volume of mineralized bone per unit volume of the sample BV is the volume contained by the surface, while TV is the volume enclosed by a surface wrapped around the total test volume.
“Correcting a bone defect” includes restoring a bone so that it appears closer to its normal phenotype, as determined by, but not limited to the following parameters, one formation rate, cortical thickness, trabecular thickness, trabecular number, bone volume and growth plate structure.
The “growth plate structure” is the cartilaginous portion of long bones where the longitudinal growth of the bone takes place. Its structure comprises chondrocytes suspended in a collagen matrix that go through several stages of maturation until they finally die, and are replaced by osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and lamellar bone.
“Restoring growth plate structure” includes but is not limited to restoring the arrangement of hypertrophic chondrocytes at the growth plate structure, particularly but not limited to a rachitic phenotype. The present disclosure also encompasses prevention of the rachitic phenotype resulting from a metabolic bone disease or disorder characterized by inadequate mineralization of growing bones.
“Mineral bone disorders (MBD)”, as used herein, the term refers to a disorder characterized by abnormal hormone levels cause calcium and phosphorus levels in a person's blood to be out of balance. Mineral and bone disorder commonly occurs in people with CKD and affects most people with kidney failure receiving dialysis.
Osteopenia is a bone condition characterized by decreased bone density, which leads to bone weakening and an increased risk of bone fracture. Osteomalacia is a bone disorder characterized by decreased mineralization of newly formed bone. Osteomalacia is caused by severe vitamin D deficiency (which can be nutritional or caused by a hereditary syndrome) and by conditions that cause very low blood phosphate levels. Both osteomalacia and osteopenia increase the risk of breaking a bone. Symptoms of osteomalacia include bone pain and muscle weakness, bone tenderness, difficulty walking, and muscle spasms.
“Age related osteopenia”, as used herein refers to a condition in which bone mineral density is lower than normal. Generally, patients with osteopenia have a bone mineral density T-score of between −1.0 and −2.5. Osteopenia if left untreated progresses into Osteoporosis where bones become brittle and are extremely prone to fracture.
“Ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL)”, as used herein, the term refers to a hyperostotic (excessive bone growth) condition that results in ectopic calcification of the posterior longitudinal ligament. The posterior longitudinal ligament connects and stabilizes the bones of the spinal column. The thickened or calcified ligament may compress the spinal cord, producing myelopathy. Symptoms of myelopathy include difficulty walking and difficulty with bowel and bladder control. OPLL may also cause radiculopathy, or compression of a nerve root. Symptoms of cervical radiculopathy include pain, tingling, or numbness in the neck, shoulder, arm, or hand.
Clinical symptoms and signs caused by OPLL are categorized as: (1) myelopathy, or a spinal cord lesion with motor and sensory disturbance of the upper and lower limbs, spasticity, and bladder dysfunction; (2) cervical radiculopathy, with pain and sensory disturbance of the upper limbs; and (3) axial discomfort, with pain and stiffness around the neck. The most common symptoms in the early stages of OPLL include dysesthesia and tingling sensation in hands, and clumsiness. With the progression of neurologic deficits, lower extremity symptoms, such as gait disturbance may appear. OPLL is detected on lateral plain radiographs, and the diagnosis and morphological details of cervical OPLL have been clearly demonstrated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT).
“Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE)”, as used herein, the term refers a progressive disorder that is characterized by the accumulation of deposits of calcium and other minerals (mineralization) in elastic fibers. Elastic fibers are a component of connective tissue, which provides strength and flexibility to structures throughout the body. In PXE, mineralization can affect elastic fibers in the skin, eyes, and blood vessels, and less frequently in other areas such as the digestive tract. People with PXE may have yellowish bumps called papules on their necks, underarms, and other areas of skin that touch when a joint bends. Mineralization of the blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body (arteries) may cause other signs and symptoms of PXE. For example, people with this condition can develop narrowing of the arteries (arteriosclerosis) or a condition called claudication that is characterized by cramping and pain during exercise due to decreased blood flow to the arms and legs.
Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE), also known as Grönblad-Strandberg syndrome, is a genetic disease that causes fragmentation and mineralization of elastic fibers in some tissues. The most common problems arise in the skin and eyes, and later in blood vessels in the form of premature atherosclerosis. PXE is caused by autosomal recessive mutations in the ABCC6 gene on the short arm of chromosome 16 (16p13.1). In some cases, a portion of infants survive GACI and end up developing Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) when they grow into adults. PXE is characterized by the accumulation of calcium and other minerals (mineralization) in elastic fibers, which are a component of connective tissue. Connective tissue provides strength and flexibility to structures throughout the body. Features characteristic of PXE that also occur in GACI include yellowish bumps called papules on the underarms and other areas of skin that touch when a joint bends (flexor areas); arterial stenosis, and abnormalities called angioid streaks affecting tissue at the back of the eye (retinal hemorrhage), which is detected during an eye examination.
“End stage renal disease (ESRD), as used herein, the term refers to an advanced stage of chronic kidney disease where kidneys of the patient are no longer functional. Common symptoms include fatigue associated with anemia (low blood iron), decreased appetite, nausea, vomiting, abnormal lab values including elevated potassium, abnormalities in hormones related to bone health, elevated phosphorus and/or decreased calcium, high blood pressure (hypertension), swelling in hands/legs/eyes/lower back (sacrum) and shortness of breath.
“Calcific uremic arteriolopathy (CUA)” or “Calciphylaxis”, as used herein refers to a condition with high morbidity and mortality seen in patients with kidney disease, especially in those with end stage renal disease (ESRD). It is characterized by calcification of the small blood vessels located within the fatty tissue and deeper layers of the skin leading to blood clots, and the death of skin cells due to reduced blood flow caused by excessive calcification.
“Hypophosphatemic rickets”, as used herein refers to a disorder in which the bones become soft and bend easily, due to low levels of phosphate in the blood. Symptoms usually begin in early childhood and can range in severity from bowing of the legs, bone deformities; bone pain; joint pain; poor bone growth; and short stature.
“Hereditary Hypophosphatemic Rickets” as used herein refers to a disorder related to low levels of phosphate in the blood (hypophosphatemia). Phosphate is a mineral that is essential for the normal formation of bones and teeth. Most commonly, it is caused by a mutation in the PHEX gene. Other genes that can be responsible for the condition include the CLCN5, DMP1, ENPP1, FGF23, and SLC34A3 genes. Other signs and symptoms of hereditary hypophosphatemic rickets can include premature fusion of the skull bones (craniosynostosis) and dental abnormalities. The disorder may also cause abnormal bone growth where ligaments and tendons attach to joints (enthesopathy). In adults, hypophosphatemia is characterized by a softening of the bones known as osteomalacia. Another rare type of the disorder is known as hereditary hypophosphatemic rickets with hypercalciuria (HHRH) wherein in addition to hypophosphatemia, this condition is characterized by the excretion of high levels of calcium in the urine (hypercalciuria).
“X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH)”, as used herein, the term X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH), also called X-linked dominant hypophosphatemic rickets, or X-linked Vitamin D-resistant rickets, is an X-linked dominant form of rickets (or osteomalacia) that differs from most cases of rickets in that vitamin D supplementation does not cure it. It can cause bone deformity including short stature and genu varum (bow leggedness). It is associated with a mutation in the PHEX gene sequence (Xp.22) and subsequent inactivity of the PHEX protein.
“Autosomal Recessive Hypophosphatemia Rickets type 2 (ARHR2)”, as used herein, the term refers to a hereditary renal phosphate-wasting disorder characterized by hypophosphatemia, rickets and/or osteomalacia and slow growth. Autosomal recessive hypophosphatemic rickets type 2 (ARHR2) is caused by homozygous loss-of-function mutation in the ENPP1 gene.
“Autosomal Dominant Hypophosphatemic Rickets (ADHR)”, as used herein refers to a rare hereditary disease in which excessive loss of phosphate in the urine leads to poorly formed bones (rickets), bone pain, and tooth abscesses. ADHR is caused by a mutation in the fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23). ADHR is characterized by impaired mineralization of bone, rickets and/or osteomalacia, suppressed levels of calcitriol (1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3), renal phosphate wasting, and low serum phosphate. Mutations in FGF23 render the protein more stable and uncleavable by proteases resulting in enhanced bioactivity of FGF23. The enhanced activity of FGF23 mutants reduce expression of sodium-phosphate co-transporters, NPT2a and NPT2c, on the apical surface of proximal renal tubule cells, resulting in renal phosphate wasting.
Hypophosphatemic rickets (previously called vitamin D-resistant rickets) is a disorder in which the bones become painfully soft and bend easily, due to low levels of phosphate in the blood. Symptoms may include bowing of the legs and other bone deformities; bone pain; joint pain; poor bone growth; and short stature. In some affected babies, the space between the skull bones closes too soon leading to craniosynostosis. Most patients display Abnormality of calcium-phosphate metabolism, Abnormality of dental enamel, Delayed eruption of teeth and long, narrow head (Dolichocephaly).
The terms “viral vector” or “viral particle”, as used interchangeably herein, refer to a viral particle composed of at least one viral capsid protein and an encapsidated recombinant viral genome (or a portion of a viral genome encoding viral proteins and/or viral sequences directing viral replication). A viral particle comprises a recombinant viral genome having a heterologous polynucleotide comprising a sequence encoding at last a catalytic domain of human ENPP1 or human ENPP3 or a functionally equivalent variant thereof) and optionally a transcriptional regulatory region and/or a promoter sequence. The particle is typically referred to as an “vector particle”.
The terms “adeno-associated viral vector”, “AAV vector”, “adeno-associated virus”, “AAV virus”, “AAV virion”, “AAV viral particle” and “AAV particle”, as used interchangeably herein, refer to a viral particle composed of at least one AAV capsid protein (preferably by all of the capsid proteins of a particular AAV serotype) and an encapsidated recombinant viral genome. The particle comprises a recombinant viral genome having a heterologous polynucleotide comprising a sequence encoding human ENPP1 or human ENPP3 or a functionally equivalent variant thereof) and a transcriptional regulatory region that at least comprises a promoter flanked by the AAV inverted terminal repeats. The particle is typically referred to as an “AAV vector particle” or “AAV vector”.
As used herein, the term “vector” means a nucleic acid molecule capable of transporting another nucleic acid to which it has been linked. In some embodiments, the vector is a plasmid, i.e., a circular double stranded DNA loop into which additional DNA segments may be ligated. In some embodiments, the vector is a viral vector, wherein additional nucleotide sequences may be ligated into the viral genome. In some embodiments, the vectors are capable of autonomous replication in a host cell into which they are introduced (e.g., bacterial vectors having a bacterial origin of replication and episomal mammalian vectors). In other embodiments, the vectors (e.g., non-episomal mammalian vectors) is integrated into the genome of a host cell upon introduction into the host cell, and thereby are replicated along with the host genome. Moreover, certain vectors (expression vectors) are capable of directing the expression of genes to which they are operatively linked.
A “non-viral vector”, as used herein, refers to delivery of a nucleic acid encoding at least the catalytic domain of ENPP1 or ENPP3, where the delivery depends on physical or chemical methods of delivering genetic material into a cell, and do not rely on a viral vector (as defined herein). This can be either a physical technique (like a needle entering a cell) or a chemical technique (created in a lab). Non-viral vectors include delivery of a nucleic acid using, for example, chemical disruption, electroporation, and polymer-based reagents. An example of a non-viral vector includes a lipid nanoparticle that encompasses a coding nucleic acid.
As used herein, a “lipid nanoparticle” (LNP) contains a recombinant nucleic acid component and a lipid component. The lipid component may contain a cationic and/or an ionizable lipid; for example, a phospholipid, a pegylated lipid and/or a structural lipid (such as cholesterol or a corticosteroid). Typically, an LNP is used to transfect mammalian cells in vivo or in vitro to express the nucleic acid coding sequence contained therein
As used herein, the term “recombinant host cell” (or simply “host cell”), as used herein, means a cell into which an exogenous nucleic acid and/or recombinant vector has been introduced. It should be understood that “recombinant host cell” and “host cell” mean not only the particular subject cell but also the progeny of such a cell. Because certain modifications may occur in succeeding generations due to either mutation or environmental influences, such progeny may not, in fact, be identical to the parent cell, but are still included within the scope of the term “host cell” as used herein.
The term “recombinant viral genome” refers to a viral genome, or portion thereof, in which at least one expression cassette is inserted.
The term “AAV recombinant viral genome”, as used herein, refers to an AAV genome in which at least one expression cassette polynucleotide is inserted. The minimal “genome” of an AAV genome useful according to the invention typically comprises the cis-acting 5′ and 3′ inverted terminal repeat sequences (ITRs) and an expression cassette.
The term “expression cassette”, as used herein, refers to a nucleic acid construct, generated recombinantly or synthetically, with a series of specified nucleic acid elements, which permit transcription of a particular nucleic acid in a target cell. The expression cassette of an AAV recombinant viral genome of an AAV vector according to the invention may include a transcriptional regulatory region operatively linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding ENPP1 or ENPP3 or a functionally equivalent variant thereof.
The term “transcriptional regulatory region”, as used herein, refers to a nucleic acid fragment capable of regulating the expression of one or more genes. The transcriptional regulatory region according to the invention includes a promoter and, optionally, an enhancer.
The term “promoter”, as used herein, refers to a nucleic acid fragment that functions to control the transcription of one or more polynucleotides, located upstream the polynucleotide sequence(s), and which is structurally identified by the presence of a binding site for DNA-dependent RNA polymerase, transcription initiation sites, and any other DNA sequences including, but not limited to, transcription factor binding sites, repressor, and activator protein binding sites, and any other sequences of nucleotides known in the art to act directly or indirectly to regulate the amount of transcription from the promoter. Any kind of promoters may be used in the invention including inducible promoters, constitutive promoters and tissue-specific promoters.
The term “enhancer”, as used herein, refers to a DNA sequence element to which transcription factors bind to increase gene transcription. Examples of enhancers may be, without limitation, RSV enhancer, CMV enhancer, HCR enhancer, etc. In another embodiment, the enhancer is a liver-specific enhancer, more preferably a hepatic control region enhancer (HCR).
The term “operatively linked”, as used herein, refers to the functional relation and location of a promoter sequence with respect to a polynucleotide of interest (e.g. a promoter or enhancer is operably linked to a coding sequence if it affects the transcription of the sequence). Generally, a promoter operatively linked is contiguous to the sequence of interest. However, an enhancer does not have to be contiguous to the sequence of interest to control its expression. In another embodiment, the promoter and the nucleotide sequence encoding ENPP1 or ENPP3 or a functionally equivalent variant thereof.
The term “therapeutically effective amount” refers to a nontoxic but sufficient amount of a viral vector encoding ENPP1 or ENPP3 to provide the desired biological result. That result may be reduction and/or alleviation of the signs, symptoms, or causes of a disease, or any other desired alteration of a biological system. For example, a therapeutically effective amount of an AAV vector according to the invention is an amount sufficient to produce
The term “Cap protein”, as used herein, refers to a polypeptide having at least one functional activity of a native AAV Cap protein (e.g. VP1, VP2, VP3). Examples of functional activities of Cap proteins include the ability to induce formation of a capsid, facilitate accumulation of single-stranded DNA, facilitate AAV DNA packaging into capsids (i.e. encapsidation), bind to cellular receptors, and facilitate entry of the virion into host cells. In principle, any Cap protein can be used in the context of the present invention.
The term “capsid”, as used herein, refers to the structure in which the viral genome is packaged. A capsid consists of several oligomeric structural subunits made of proteins. For instance, AAV have an icosahedral capsid formed by the interaction of three capsid proteins: VP1, VP2 and VP3.
The term “Rep protein”, as used herein, refers to a polypeptide having at least one functional activity of a native AAV Rep protein (e.g. Rep 40, 52, 68, 78). A “functional activity” of a Rep protein is any activity associated with the physiological function of the protein, including facilitating replication of DNA through recognition, binding and nicking of the AAV origin of DNA replication as well as DNA helicase activity. Additional functions include modulation of transcription from AAV (or other heterologous) promoters and site-specific integration of AAV DNA into a host chromosome. In a particular embodiment, AAV rep genes derive from the serotypes AAV1, AAV2, AAV4, AAV5, AAV6, AAV7, AAV8, AAV9, AAV10 or AAVrh10; more preferably from an AAV serotype selected from the group consisting of AAV2, AAV5, AAV7, AAV8, AAV9, AAV10 and AAVrh10.
The expression “viral proteins upon which AAV is dependent for replication”, as used herein, refers to polypeptides which perform functions upon which AAV is dependent for replication (i.e. “helper functions”). The helper functions include those functions required for AAV replication including, without limitation, those moieties involved in activation of AAV gene transcription, stage specific AAV mRNA splicing, AAV DNA replication, synthesis of cap expression products, and AAV capsid assembly. Viral-based accessory functions are derived from any of the known helper viruses such as adenovirus, herpesvirus (other than herpes simplex virus type-1), and vaccinia virus. Helper functions include, without limitation, adenovirus E1, E2a, VA, and E4 or herpesvirus UL5, ULB, UL52, and UL29, and herpesvirus polymerase. In another embodiment, the proteins upon which AAV is dependent for replication are derived from adenovirus.
The term “adeno-associated virus ITRs” or “AAV ITRs”, as used herein, refers to the inverted terminal repeats present at both ends of the DNA strand of the genome of an adeno-associated virus. The ITR sequences are required for efficient multiplication of the AAV genome. Another property of these sequences is their ability to form a hairpin. This characteristic contributes to its self-priming which allows the primase-independent synthesis of the second DNA strand. Procedures for modifying these ITR sequences are known in the art (Brown T, “Gene Cloning”, Chapman & Hall, London, G B, 1995; Watson R, et al., “Recombinant DNA”, 2nd Ed. Scientific American Books, New York, N.Y., US, 1992; Alberts B, et al., “Molecular Biology of the Cell”, Garland Publishing Inc., New York, N.Y., US, 2008; Innis M, et al., Eds., “PCR Protocols. A Guide to Methods and Applications”, Academic Press Inc., San Diego, Calif., US, 1990; and Schleef M, Ed., “Plasmid for Therapy and Vaccination”, Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH, Weinheim, Del., 2001).
The term “tissue-specific” promoter is only active in specific types of differentiated cells or tissues. Typically, the downstream gene in a tissue-specific promoter is one which is active to a much higher degree in the tissue(s) for which it is specific than in any other. In this case there may be little or substantially no activity of the promoter in any tissue other than the one(s) for which it is specific.
The term “skeletal muscle-specific promoter”, as used herein, refers to a nucleic acid sequence that serves as a promoter (i.e. regulates expression of a selected nucleic acid sequence operably linked to the promoter), and which promotes expression of a selected nucleic acid sequence in specific tissue cells of skeletal muscle. Examples of skeletal muscle-specific promoters include, without limitation, myosin light chain promoter (MLC) and the muscle creatine kinase promoter (MCK).
The term “liver specific promoter”, as used herein, refers to a nucleic acid sequence that serves as a promoter (i.e. regulates expression of a selected nucleic acid sequence operably linked to the promoter), and which promotes expression of a selected nucleic acid sequence in hepatocytes. Typically, a liver-specific promoter is more active in liver as compared to its activity in any other tissue in the body. The liver-specific promoter can be constitutive or inducible. Suitable liver-specific promoters include, e.g., the liver promoter 1 (LP1) as described in Nathwani et al. Blood 2006; 107(7):2653-2661 and the hybrid liver promoter (HLP) as described in McIntosh et al. Blood 2013; 121(17):3335-44. Such promoters also include an [alpha]1-anti-trypsin (AAT) promoter, a thyroid hormone-binding globulin promoter, an alpha fetoprotein promoter, an alcohol dehydrogenase promoter, the factor VIII (FVIII) promoter, a HBV basic core promoter (BCP) and PreS2 promoter, an albumin promoter, a −460 to 73 bp phosphoenol pyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) promoter, a thyroxin-binding globulin (TBG) promoter, an Hepatic Control Region (HCR)-ApoCII hybrid promoter, an HCR-hAAT hybrid promoter, an AAT promoter combined with the mouse albumin gene enhancer (Ealb) element, an apolipoprotein E promoter, a low density lipoprotein promoter, a pyruvate kinase promoter, a lecithin-cholesterol acyl transferase (LCAT) promoter, an apolipoprotein H (ApoH) promoter, the transferrin promoter, a transthyretin promoter, an alpha-fibrinogen and beta-fibrinogen promoters, an alpha 1-antichymotrypsin promoter, an alpha 2-HS glycoprotein promoter, an haptoglobin promoter, a ceruloplasmin promoter, a plasminogen promoter, promoters of the complement proteins (CIq, CIr, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C8, C9, complement Factor I and Factor H), C3 complement activator and the [alpha]-acid glycoprotein promoter. Additional tissue-specific promoters may be found in the Tissue-Specific Promoter Database, TiProD (Nucleic Acids Research, J4:D104-D107 (2006)). In another embodiment, the liver-specific promoter is selected from the group consisting of albumin promoter, phosphoenol pyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) promoter and alpha 1-antitrypsin promoter; more preferably alpha 1-antitrypsin promoter; even more preferably human alpha 1-antitrypsin promoter.
The term “inducible promoter”, as used herein, refers to a promoter that is physiologically or developmentally regulated, e.g. by the application of a chemical inducer. For example, it can be a tetracycline-inducible promoter, a mifepristone (RU-486)-inducible promoter and the like.
The term “constitutive promoter”, as used herein, refers to a promoter whose activity is maintained at a relatively constant level in all cells of an organism, or during most developmental stages, with little or no regard to cell environmental conditions. In another embodiment, the transcriptional regulatory region allows constitutive expression of ENPP1. Examples of constitutive promoters include, without limitation, the retroviral Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) LTR promoter (optionally with the RSV enhancer), the cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter (optionally with the CMV enhancer), the SV40 promoter, the dihydrofolate reductase promoter, the β-actin promoter, the phosphoglycerol kinase (PGK) promoter, and the EF1a promoter (Boshart M, et al., Cell 1985; 41:521-530). Preferably, the constitutive promoter is suitable for expression of ENPP1 in liver and include, without limitation, a promoter of hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase (HPTR), a promoter of the adenosine deaminase, a promoter of the pyruvate kinase, a promoter of β-actin, an elongation factor 1 alpha (EF1) promoter, a phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) promoter, a ubiquitin (Ubc) promoter, an albumin promoter, and other constitutive promoters. Exemplary viral promoters which function constitutively in cells include, for example, the SV40 early promoter region (Bernoist and Chambon, 1981, Nature 290:304-310), the promoter contained in the 3′ long terminal repeat of Rous sarcoma virus (Yamamoto et al., 1980, Cell 22:787-797), or the herpes thymidine kinase promoter (Wagner et al., 1981, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 78:1441-1445).
The term “polyadenylation signal”, as used herein, relates to a nucleic acid sequence that mediates the attachment of a polyadenine stretch to the 3′ terminus of the mRNA. Suitable polyadenylation signals include, without limitation, the SV40 early polyadenylation signal, the SV40 late polyadenylation signal, the HSV thymidine kinase polyadenylation signal, the protamine gene polyadenylation signal, the adenovirus 5 EIb polyadenylation signal, the bovine growth hormone polyadenylation signal, the human variant growth hormone polyadenylation signal and the like.
The term “nucleotide or nucleic acid sequence”, is used herein interchangeably with “polynucleotide”, and relates to any polymeric form of nucleotides of any length. Said nucleotide sequence encodes signal peptide and ENPP1 protein or a functionally equivalent variant thereof.
The term “signal peptide”, as used herein, refers to a sequence of amino acid residues (ranging in length from 10-30 residues) bound at the amino terminus of a nascent protein of interest during protein translation. The signal peptide is recognized by the signal recognition particle (SRP) and cleaved by the signal peptidase following transport at the endoplasmic reticulum. (Lodish et al., 2000, Molecular Cell Biology, 4th edition).
The term “subject”, as used herein, refers to an individual mammal, such as a human, a non-human primate (e.g. chimpanzees and other apes and monkey species), a farm animal (e.g. birds, fish, cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, and horses), a domestic mammal (e.g. dogs and cats), or a laboratory animal (e.g. rodents, such as mice, rats and guinea pigs). The term includes a subject of any age or sex. In another embodiment the subject is a mammal, preferably a human.
A disease or disorder is “alleviated” if the severity of a symptom of the disease or disorder, the frequency with which such a symptom is experienced by a patient, or both, is reduced.
As used herein the terms “alteration,” “defect,” “variation” or “mutation” refer to a mutation in a gene in a cell that affects the function, activity, expression (transcription or translation) or conformation of the polypeptide it encodes, including missense and nonsense mutations, insertions, deletions, frameshifts and premature terminations.
A “disease” is a state of health of an animal wherein the animal cannot maintain homeostasis, and wherein if the disease is not ameliorated then the animal's health continues to deteriorate.
A “disorder” in an animal is a state of health in which the animal is able to maintain homeostasis, but in which the animal's state of health is less favorable than it would be in the absence of the disorder. Left untreated, a disorder does not necessarily cause a further decrease in the animal's state of health.
As used herein, the term “immune response” or “immune reaction” refers to the host's immune system to antigen in an invading (infecting) pathogenic organism, or to introduction or expression of foreign protein. The immune response is generally humoral and local; antibodies produced by B cells combine with antigen in an antigen-antibody complex to inactivate or neutralize antigen. Immune response is often observed when human proteins are injected into mouse model systems. Generally, the mouse model system is made immune tolerant by injecting immune suppressors prior to the introduction of a foreign antigen to ensure better viability.
As used herein, the term “immunesuppression” is a deliberate reduction of the activation or efficacy of the host immune system using immunesuppresant drugs to facilitate immune tolerance towards foreign antigens such as foreign proteins, organ transplants, bone marrow and tissue transplantation. Non limiting examples of immunosuppressant drugs include anti-CD4 (GK1.5) antibody, Cyclophosphamide, Azathioprine (Imuran), Mycophenolate mofetil (Cellcept), Cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune, Gengraf), Methotrexate (Rheumatrex), Leflunomide (Arava), Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) and Chlorambucil (Leukeran).
As used herein, the term “ENPP” or “NPP” refers to ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase.
As used herein, the term “ENPP1 protein” or “ENPP1 polypeptide” refers to ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 protein encoded by the ENPP1 gene. The encoded protein is a type II transmembrane glycoprotein and cleaves a variety of substrates, including phosphodiester bonds of nucleotides and nucleotide sugars and pyrophosphate bonds of nucleotides and nucleotide sugars. ENPP1 protein has a transmembrane domain and soluble extracellular domain. The extracellular domain is further subdivided into somatomedin B domain, catalytic domain and the nuclease domain. The sequence and structure of wild-type ENPP1 is described in detail in PCT Application Publication No. WO 2014/126965 to Braddock, et al., which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
Mammal ENPP1 and ENPP3 polypeptides, mutants, or mutant fragments thereof, have been previously disclosed in International PCT Application Publications No. WO/2014/126965—Braddock et al., WO/2016/187408—Braddock et al., WO/2017/087936—Braddock et al., and WO2018/027024—Braddock et al., all of which are incorporated by reference in their entireties herein.
As used herein, the term “ENPP3 protein” or “ENPP3 polypeptide” refers to ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-3 protein encoded by the ENPP3 gene. The encoded protein is a type II transmembrane glycoprotein and cleaves a variety of substrates, including phosphodiester bonds of nucleotides and nucleotide sugars and pyrophosphate bonds of nucleotides and nucleotide sugars. ENPP3 protein has a transmembrane domain and soluble extracellular domain. The sequence and structure of wild-type ENPP3 is described in detail in PCT Application Publication No. WO/2017/087936 to Braddock, et al., which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
As used herein, the term “ENPP1 precursor protein” refers to ENPP1 with its signal peptide sequence at the ENPP1 N-terminus. Upon proteolysis, the signal sequence is cleaved from ENPP1 to provide the ENPP1 protein. Signal peptide sequences useful within the invention include, but are not limited to, Albumin signal sequence, Azurocidin signal sequence, ENPP1 signal peptide sequence, ENPP2 signal peptide sequence, ENPP7 signal peptide sequence, and/or ENPP5 signal peptide sequence.
As used herein, the term “ENPP3 precursor protein” refers to ENPP3 with its signal peptide sequence at the ENPP3 N-terminus. Upon proteolysis, the signal sequence is cleaved from ENPP3 to provide the ENPP3 protein. Signal peptide sequences useful within the invention include, but are not limited to, Albumin signal peptide sequence, Azurocidin signal peptide sequence, ENPP1 signal peptide sequence, ENPP2 signal peptide sequence, ENPP7 signal peptide sequence, and/or ENPP5 signal peptide sequence.
As used herein, the term “Azurocidin signal peptide sequence” refers to the signal peptide derived from human azurocidin. Azurocidin, also known as cationic antimicrobial protein CAP37 or heparin-binding protein (HBP), is a protein that in humans is encoded by the AZU1 gene. The nucleotide sequence encoding Azurocin signal peptide (MTRLTVLALLAGLLASSRA) is fused with the nucleotide sequence of NPP1 or NPP3 gene which when encoded generates ENPP1 precursor protein or ENPP3 precursor protein. (Optimized signal peptides for the development of high expressing CHO cell lines, Kober et al., Biotechnol Bioeng. 2013 April; 110(4):1164-73)
As used herein, the term “ENPP1-Fc construct” refers to ENPP1 recombinantly fused and/or chemically conjugated (including both covalent and non-covalent conjugations) to an FcR binding domain of an IgG molecule (preferably, a human IgG). In certain embodiments, the C-terminus of ENPP1 is fused or conjugated to the N-terminus of the FcR binding domain.
As used herein, the term “ENPP3-Fc construct” refers to ENPP3 recombinantly fused and/or chemically conjugated (including both covalent and non-covalent conjugations) to an FcR binding domain of an IgG molecule (preferably, a human IgG). In certain embodiments, the C-terminus of ENPP1 is fused or conjugated to the N-terminus of the FcR binding domain.
As used herein, the term “Fc” refers to a human IgG (immunoglobulin) Fc domain. Subtypes of IgG such as IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4 are contemplated for use as Fc domains.
As used herein, the “Fc region or Fc polypeptide” is the portion of an IgG molecule that correlates to a crystallizable fragment obtained by papain digestion of an IgG molecule. The Fc region comprises the C-terminal half of the two heavy chains of an IgG molecule that are linked by disulfide bonds. It has no antigen binding activity but contains the carbohydrate moiety and the binding sites for complement and Fc receptors, including the FcRn receptor. The Fc fragment contains the entire second constant domain CH2 (residues 231-340 of human IgG1, according to the Kabat numbering system) and the third constant domain CH3 (residues 341-447). The term “IgG hinge-Fc region” or “hinge-Fc fragment” refers to a region of an IgG molecule consisting of the Fc region (residues 231-447) and a hinge region (residues 216-230) extending from the N-terminus of the Fc region. The term “constant domain” refers to the portion of an immunoglobulin molecule having a more conserved amino acid sequence relative to the other portion of the immunoglobulin, the variable domain, which contains the antigen binding site. The constant domain contains the CH1, CH2 and CH3 domains of the heavy chain and the CHL domain of the light chain. See examples of Fc mutants are described in Conceptual Approaches to Modulating Antibody Effector Functions and Circulation Half-Life, Front. Immunol., 7 Jun. 2019.
As used herein, the term “operatively linked” or “operatively associated” refers to the connection between target protein and the heterologous protein performed in such a way that resulting in the formation of a fusion protein and doesn't detrimentally affect the function of either the target protein such as ENPP1 or ENPP3 and the heterogolus protein such as Fc or albumin.
As used herein, the term “circulating half-life” refers to the time it takes for the serum concentration of a composition such as ENPP1 or ENPP3 to halve (serum half-life) its steady state when circulating in the full blood of a mammals, preferably humans. For example, ENPP1-Fc or ENPP1-albumin heterologous protein fusions exhibit increased half-life over the wild-type ENPP1 proteins. Braddock et al. has reported that ENPP1-Fc fusion proteins comprising ENPP1 mutations and Fc mutations (ENPP1-Fc variant) have shown increased half-life of about 35 hours. (See Braddock et al., Protein Engineering and Glycan Optimization Improves Pharmacokinetics of an Enzyme Biologic 10-fold, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, April 2019, FASEB).
As used herein, the term “ENPP1-Fc variant” refers to the fusion protein formed by the operative linking of ENPP1 protein and a heterologous protein such as Fc, which contains one, two, three, four or five residues substituted in the ENPP1 protein and/or one, two, three, four or five residues substituted in the Fc protein region. For example, ENPP1-Fc variant shown in SEQ ID NO: 95 has a single mutation (I332T mutation, position numbering relative to ENPP1 WT protein shown in SEQ ID NO: 1) in the ENPP1 protein region and triple mutation in the Fc region. (M252Y, S254T and T256E mutations according to EU numbering). Several ENPP1-Fc variants can be readily generated by operatively linking ENPP1 protein comprising one or more substitutions along with Fc proteins comprising known mutations. (See Table I of IgG Fc engineering to modulate antibody effector functions, Protein Cell. 2018 January; 9(1): 63-73)
As used herein, the term “ENPP3-Fc variant” refers to the fusion protein formed by the operative linking of ENPP1 protein and a heterologous protein such as Fc, which contains one, two, three, four or five residues substituted in the ENPP3 protein and/or one, two, three, four or five residues substituted in the Fc protein region. For example, ENPP3-Fc variant shown in SEQ ID NO: 96 has triple mutation in the Fc region (M252Y, S254T and T256E mutations according to EU numbering). Several ENPP3-Fc variants can be readily generated by operatively linking ENPP3 protein comprising one or more substitutions along with Fc proteins comprising known mutations. (See IgG Fc engineering to modulate antibody effector functions, Protein Cell. 2018 January; 9(1): 63-73)
As used herein, the term “albumin” refers to a family of globular proteins, in general are transport proteins that bind to various ligands and carry them around. Common examples include Human serum albumin, Alpha-fetoprotein, Ovalbumin and Lactalbumin. Human serum albumin is the main protein of human blood plasma. It makes up around 50% of human plasma proteins. Several examples of albumin variants are described in Amino Acid Substitutions in Genetic Variants of Human Serum Albumin and in Sequences Inferred from Molecular Cloning, PNAS, Vol. 84, No. 13 (Jul. 1, 1987), pp. 4413-4417; & Albumin as a versatile platform for drug half-life extension, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1830(12), April 2013.
As used herein, the term “fragment,” as applied to a nucleic acid, refers to a subsequence of a larger nucleic acid. A “fragment” of a nucleic acid can be at least about 15, 50-100, 100-500, 500-1000, 1000-1500 nucleotides, 1500-2500, or 2500 nucleotides (and any integer value in between). As used herein, the term “fragment,” as applied to a protein or peptide, refers to a subsequence of a larger protein or peptide, and can be at least about 20, 50, 100, 200, 300 or 400 amino acids in length (and any integer value in between).
“Isolated” means altered or removed from the natural state. For example, a nucleic acid or a polypeptide naturally present in a living animal is not “isolated,” but the same nucleic acid or polypeptide partially or completely separated from the coexisting materials of its natural state is “isolated.” An isolated nucleic acid or protein can exist in substantially purified form, or can exist in a non-native environment such as, for example, a host cell.
An “oligonucleotide” or “polynucleotide” is a nucleic acid ranging from at least 2, in certain embodiments at least 8, 15 or 25 nucleotides in length, but may be up to 50, 100, 1000, or 5000 nucleotides long or a compound that specifically hybridizes to a polynucleotide.
As used herein, the term “patient,” “individual” or “subject” refers to a human.
As used herein, the term “pharmaceutical composition” or “composition” refers to a mixture of at least one compound useful within the invention with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The pharmaceutical composition facilitates administration of the compound to a patient. Multiple techniques of administering a compound exist in the art including, but not limited to, subcutaneous, intravenous, oral, aerosol, inhalational, rectal, vaginal, transdermal, intranasal, buccal, sublingual, parenteral, intrathecal, intragastrical, ophthalmic, pulmonary, and topical administration.
As used herein, the term “pharmaceutically acceptable” refers to a material, such as a carrier or diluent, which does not abrogate the biological activity or properties of the compound, and is relatively non-toxic, i.e., the material may be administered to an individual without causing undesirable biological effects or interacting in a deleterious manner with any of the components of the composition in which it is contained; for example, phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)
As used herein the term “plasma pyrophosphate (PPi) levels” refers to the amount of pyrophosphate present in plasma of animals. In certain embodiments, animals include rat, mouse, cat, dog, human, cow and horse. It is necessary to measure PPi in plasma rather than serum because of release from platelets. There are several ways to measure PPi, one of which is by enzymatic assay using uridine-diphosphoglucose (UDPG) pyrophosphorylase (Lust & Seegmiller, 1976, Clin. Chim. Acta 66:241-249; Cheung & Suhadolnik, 1977, Anal. Biochem. 83:61-63) with modifications. Typically, normal PPi levels in healthy subjects range from about 1 μm to about 3 μM, in some cases between 1-2 μm. Subjects who have defective ENPP1 expression tend to exhibit low ppi levels which range from at least 10% below normal levels, at least 20% below normal levels, at least 30% below normal levels, at least 40% below normal levels, at least 50% below normal levels, at least 60% below normal levels, at least 70% below normal levels, at least 80% below normal levels and combinations thereof. In patients afflicted with GACI, the ppi levels are found to be less than 1 μm and in some cases are below the level of detection. In patients afflicted with PXE, the ppi levels are below 0.5 μm. (Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2014 September; 34(9):1985-9; Braddock et al., Nat Commun. 2015; 6: 10006.)
As used herein, the term “polypeptide” refers to a polymer composed of amino acid residues, related naturally occurring structural variants, and synthetic non-naturally occurring analogs thereof linked via peptide bonds.
As used herein, the term “PPi” refers to pyrophosphate.
As used herein, the term “prevent” or “prevention” means no disorder or disease development if none had occurred, or no further disorder or disease development if there had already been development of the disorder or disease. Also considered is the ability of one to prevent some or all of the symptoms associated with the disorder or disease.
“Sample” or “biological sample” as used herein means a biological material isolated from a subject. The biological sample may contain any biological material suitable for detecting a mRNA, polypeptide or other marker of a physiologic or pathologic process in a subject, and may comprise fluid, tissue, cellular and/or non-cellular material obtained from the individual.
As used herein, “substantially purified” refers to being essentially free of other components. For example, a substantially purified polypeptide is a polypeptide that has been separated from other components with which it is normally associated in its naturally occurring state. Non-limiting embodiments include 95% purity, 99% purity, 99.5% purity, 99.9% purity and 100% purity.
As used herein, the term “treatment” or “treating” is defined as the application or administration of a therapeutic agent, i.e., a compound useful within the invention (alone or in combination with another pharmaceutical agent), to a patient, or application or administration of a therapeutic agent to an isolated tissue or cell line from a patient (e.g., for diagnosis or ex vivo applications), who has a disease or disorder, a symptom of a disease or disorder or the potential to develop a disease or disorder, with the purpose to cure, heal, alleviate, relieve, alter, remedy, ameliorate, improve or affect the disease or disorder, the symptoms of the disease or disorder, or the potential to develop the disease or disorder. Such treatments may be specifically tailored or modified, based on knowledge obtained from the field of pharmacogenomics.
The terms “prevent,” “preventing,” and “prevention”, as used herein, refer to inhibiting the inception or decreasing the occurrence of a disease in a subject. Prevention may be complete (e.g. the total absence of pathological cells in a subject) or partial. Prevention also refers to a reduced susceptibility to a clinical condition.
As used herein, the term “wild-type” refers to a gene or gene product isolated from a naturally occurring source. A wild-type gene is most frequently observed in a population and is thus arbitrarily designed the “normal” or “wild-type” form of the human NPP1 or NPP3 genes. In contrast, the term “functionally equivalent” refers to a NPP1 or NPP3 gene or gene product that displays modifications in sequence and/or functional properties (i.e., altered characteristics) when compared to the wild-type gene or gene product. Naturally occurring mutants can be isolated; these are identified by the fact that they have altered characteristics (including altered nucleic acid sequences) when compared to the wild-type gene or gene product.
The term “functional equivalent variant”, as used herein, relates to a polypeptide substantially homologous to the sequences of ENPP1 or ENPP3 (defined above) and that preserves the enzymatic and biological activities of ENPP1 or ENPP3, respectively. Methods for determining whether a variant preserves the biological activity of the native ENPP1 or ENPP3 are widely known to the skilled person and include any of the assays used in the experimental part of said application. Particularly, functionally equivalent variants of ENPP1 or ENPP3 delivered by viral vectors is encompassed by the present invention.
The functionally equivalent variants of ENPP1 or ENPP3 are polypeptides substantially homologous to the native ENPP1 or ENPP3 respectively. The expression “substantially homologous”, relates to a protein sequence when said protein sequence has a degree of identity with respect to the ENPP1 or ENPP3 sequences described above of at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 91%, at least 92%, at least 93%, at least 94%, at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98% or at least 99% respectively.
The degree of identity between two polypeptides is determined using computer algorithms and methods that are widely known for the persons skilled in the art. The identity between two amino acid sequences is preferably determined by using the BLASTP algorithm (BLAST Manual, Altschul, S., et al., NCBI NLM NIH Bethesda, Md. 20894, Altschul, S., et al., J. Mol. Biol. 215: 403-410 (1990)), though other similar algorithms can also be used. BLAST and BLAST 2.0 are used, with the parameters described herein, to determine percent sequence identity. Software for performing BLAST analyses is publicly available through the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
“Functionally equivalent variants” of ENPP1 or ENPP3 may be obtained by replacing nucleotides within the polynucleotide accounting for codon preference in the host cell that is to be used to produce the ENPP1 or ENPP3 respectively. Such “codon optimization” can be determined via computer algorithms which incorporate codon frequency tables such as “Human high.cod” for codon preference as provided by the University of Wisconsin Package Version 9.0, Genetics Computer Group, Madison, Wis.
“About” as used herein when referring to a measurable value such as an amount, a temporal duration, and the like, is meant to encompass variations of ±20% or ±10%, in certain embodiments ±5%, in certain embodiments ±1%, in certain embodiments ±0.1% from the specified value, as such variations are appropriate to perform the disclosed methods.
The disclosure provides a representative example of protein sequence and nucleic acid sequences of the invention. The protein sequences described can be converted into nucleic acid sequences by performing revere translation and codon optimization. There are several tools available in art such as Expasy (https://www.expasy.org/) and bioinformatics servers (http://www.bioinformatics.org) that enable such conversions
Ranges: throughout this disclosure, various aspects according to the invention can be presented in a range format. It should be understood that the description in range format is merely for convenience and brevity and should not be construed as an inflexible limitation on the scope according to the invention. Accordingly, the description of a range should be considered to have specifically disclosed all the possible subranges as well as individual numerical values within that range. For example, description of a range such as from 1 to 6 should be considered to have specifically disclosed subranges such as from 1 to 3, from 1 to 4, from 1 to 5, from 2 to 4, from 2 to 6, from 3 to 6 etc., as well as individual numbers within that range, for example, 1, 2, 2.7, 3, 4, 5, 5.3, and 6. This applies regardless of the breadth of the range.
Soluble ENPP1 Polypeptides
In certain aspects, the present disclosure relates to soluble ENPP1 polypeptides. ENPP1 polypeptides disclosed herein include naturally occurring polypeptides of the ENPP1 family as well as any variants thereof (including mutants, fragments, fusions, and peptidomimetic forms) that retain a biological activity. The terms “ENPP1” or “ENPP1 polypeptide” refers to ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 proteins (NPP1/ENPP1/PC-1) and ENPP1-related proteins, derived from any species. ENPP1 protein comprises a type II transmembrane glycoprotein that forms a homodimer. Each monomer of the ENPP1 protein comprises a short intracellular N-terminal domain involved in targeting to the plasma membrane, a transmembrane domain, and a large extracellular region comprising several domains. The large extracellular region comprises SMB1 and SMB2 domains, which have been reported to take part in ENPP1 dimerization (R. Gijsbers, H. et al., Biochem. J. 371; 2003: 321-330). Specifically, the SMB domains contain eight cysteine residues, each arranged in four disulphide bonds, and have been shown to mediate ENPP1 homodimerization through covalent cystine inter- and intramolecular bonds. The ENPP1 protein cleaves a variety of substrates, including phosphodiester bonds of nucleotides and nucleotide sugars and pyrophosphate bonds of nucleotides and nucleotide sugars. ENPP1 protein functions to hydrolyze nucleoside 5′ triphosphatase to either corresponding monophosphates and also hydrolyzes diadenosine polyphosphates. ENPP1 proteins play a role in purinergic signaling which is involved in the regulation of cardiovascular, neurological, immunological, musculoskeletal, hormonal, and hematological functions. An exemplary amino acid sequence of the human ENPP1 precursor protein (NCBI accession NP_006199) is shown in
In certain embodiments, the ENPP1 precursor protein further comprises an endogenous or heterologous signal peptide sequence. Upon proteolysis, the signal peptide sequence is cleaved from the ENPP1 precursor protein to provide the mature ENPP1 protein. See, e.g., Jansen S, et al. J Cell Sci. 2005; 118(Pt 14):3081-9. Exemplary signal peptide sequences that can be used with the polypeptides disclosed herein include, but are not limited to, ENPP1 signal peptide sequence, ENPP2 signal peptide sequence, ENPP7 signal peptide sequence, and/or ENPP5 signal peptide sequence. The processed (mature, soluble) extracellular ENPP1 polypeptide sequence is shown in SEQ ID NO: 2.
ENPP1 binding to various nucleotide triphosphates (e.g., ATP, UTP, GTP, TTP, and CTP), pNP-TMP, 3′,5′-cAMP, and 2′-3′-cGAMP is also highly conserved (see, e.g., Kato K. et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2012; 109(42):16876-81 and Mackenzie N C, et al. Bone. 2012; 51(5):961-8). Accordingly, from these alignments, it is possible to predict key amino acid positions with the extracellular domain that are important for normal ENPP1 activities as well as to predict amino acid positions that are likely to be tolerant to substitution without significantly altering normal ENPP1 activities. Therefore, an active, human ENPP1 polypeptide useful in accordance with the presently disclosed methods may include one or more amino acids at corresponding positions from the sequence of another vertebrate ENPP1 or may include a residue that is similar to that in the human or other vertebrate sequences. Substitutions of one or more amino acids at corresponding positions may include conservative variations or substitutions that are not likely to change the shape of the polypeptide chain or alter normal ENPP1 activities. Examples of conservative variations, or substitutions, include the replacement of one hydrophobic residue such as isoleucine, valine, leucine or methionine for another, or the substitution of one polar residue for another, such as the substitution of arginine for lysine, glutamic for aspartic acid, or glutamine for asparagine. For example, ENPP1 polypeptides include polypeptides derived from the sequence of any known ENPP1 polypeptide having a sequence at least about 80% identical to the sequence of an ENPP1 polypeptide, and preferably at least 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99% or greater identity. In some embodiments, a soluble ENPP1 polypeptide may comprise a ENPP1 polypeptide domain (e.g., SMB1, SMB2, catalytic domain, nuclease-like domain, linker sequence) or subsequence which has been substituted with the corresponding domain or subsequence from another species (e.g., human to cynomolgus).
ENPP1 proteins have been characterized in the art in terms of structural and biological characteristics. In certain embodiments, soluble ENPP1 proteins disclosed herein comprise pyrophosphatase and/or phosphodiesterase activity. For instance, in some embodiments, the ENPP1 protein binds nucleotide triphosphates (e.g., ATP, UTP, GTP, TTP, and CTP), pNP-TMP, 3′,5′-cAMP, and 2′-3′-cGAMP; and converts nucleotide triphosphates into inorganic pyrophosphate [see, e.g., Kato K. et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2012; 109(42):16876-81; Li L, et al. Nat Chem Biol. 2014; 10(12):1043-8; Jansen S, et al. Structure. 2012; 20(11):1948-59; and Onyedibe K I, et al. Molecules. 2019; 24(22)]. As used herein, the terms “enzymatically active” or “biologically active” refer to ENPP1 polypeptides that exhibit pyrophosphatase and/or phosphodiesterase activity (e.g., is capable of binding and/or hydrolyzing ATP into AMP and PPi and/or AP3a into ATP).
For example, the pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase domain of an ENPP1 protein hydrolyzes extracellular nucleotide triphosphates to produce inorganic pyrophosphates (Ppi) and is generally soluble. This activity can be measured using a pNP-TMP assay as previously described (Saunders, et al., 2008, Mol. Cancer Ther. 7(10):3352-62; Albright, et al., 2015, Nat Comm. 6:10006). In certain embodiments, the soluble ENPP1 polypeptide has a kcat value for the substrate ATP greater than or equal to about 3.4 (±0.4) s′1 enzyme′1, wherein the kcat is determined by measuring the rate of hydrolysis of ATP for the polypeptide. In certain embodiments, the soluble ENPP1 polypeptide has a KM value for the substrate ATP less than or equal to about 2 μM, wherein the KM is determined by measuring the rate of hydrolysis of ATP for the polypeptide. In addition to the teachings herein, these references provide ample guidance for how to generate soluble ENPP1 proteins that retain one or more biological activities (e.g., conversion of nucleotides into inorganic pyrophosphate).
In one embodiment, the disclosure relates to soluble ENPP1 polypeptides. As described herein, the term soluble ENPP1 polypeptide, includes any naturally occurring extracellular domain of an ENPP1 protein as well as any variants thereof (including mutants, fragments and peptidomimetic forms) that retain a biological activity (e.g., enzymatically active). An exemplary soluble ENPP1 polypeptide comprises an extracellular domain of an ENPP1 protein (e.g., residues 96 to 925 of NCBI accession NP_006199) and is described herein.
Exemplary soluble ENPP1 polypeptides may further comprise a signal sequence in addition to all or part of the extracellular domain of an ENPP1 polypeptide. Exemplary signal sequences include the native signal sequence of an ENPP1 polypeptide, or a signal sequence from another protein, such as a hENPP7 signal sequence or Azurocidin, as described herein. Examples of variant soluble ENPP1 polypeptides are provided throughout the present disclosure as well as in International Patent Application Publication Nos. WO 2012/125182, WO 2014/126965, WO 2016/187408, WO 2018/027024, and WO 2020/047520 which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
In certain embodiments, the ENPP1 polypeptide or soluble ENPP1 polypeptide described herein is a variant polypeptide, which differs from the wildtype form of the polypeptide by one or more amino acid substitutions, deletions, or insertions.
In certain embodiments, the soluble ENPP1 polypeptide is a recombinant polypeptide. In some embodiments, the soluble ENPP1 polypeptide comprises an ENPP1 polypeptide that lacks the ENPP1 transmembrane domain. In some embodiments, the polypeptide comprises an ENPP1 polypeptide wherein the ENPP1 transmembrane domain has been removed (and/or truncated) and replaced with the transmembrane domain of another polypeptide, such as, by way of non-limiting example, ENPP2, ENPP5, or ENPP7.
In some embodiments, the variant ENPP1 polypeptide or variant soluble ENPP1 polypeptide described herein comprises one or more amino acid substitutions. In some embodiments, the variant ENPP1 polypeptide or variant soluble ENPP1 polypeptide comprises one or more of the amino acid substitutions described in International Patent Application Publication No. WO 2020/0047520. In some embodiments, the variant ENPP1 polypeptide or variant soluble ENPP1 polypeptide described herein comprises at least one amino acid substitution at position 332 as relating to SEQ ID NO:1. In certain embodiments, the amino acid substitution is the substitution of isoleucine (I) for threonine (T) at position 332 relative to SEQ ID NO:1. In certain embodiments, the amino acid substitution is the substitution of isoleucine (I) for serine (S) at position 332 relative to SEQ ID NO:1.
In some embodiments, the ENPP1 polypeptide or the soluble ENPP1 polypeptide comprises or consists of the amino acid sequence depicted in SEQ ID NO: 95.
In some embodiments, the soluble ENPP1 polypeptide or ENPP3 polypeptide is a fusion protein comprising an ENPP1 polypeptide domain and one or more heterologous protein portions (i.e., polypeptide domains heterologous to ENPP1). An amino acid sequence is understood to be heterologous to ENPP1 if it is not uniquely found in the form of ENPP1 represented by SEQ ID NO: 1. In some embodiments, the heterologous protein portion comprises an Fc domain of an immunoglobulin. In some embodiments, the Fc domain of the immunoglobulin is an Fc domain of an IgG1 immunoglobulin. In certain embodiments, the soluble ENPP1 polypeptide is C-terminally fused to the Fc domain of human immunoglobulin 1 (IgGl), human immunoglobulin 2 (IgG2), human immunoglobulin 3 (IgG3), and/or human immunoglobulin 4 (IgG4). In other embodiments, the soluble ENPP1 polypeptide is N-terminally fused to the Fc domain of human immunoglobulin 1 (IgGl), human immunoglobulin 2 (IgG2), human immunoglobulin 3 (IgG3), and/or human immunoglobulin 4 (IgG4). In some embodiments, the presence of an Fc domain improves circulating half-life, solubility, reduces immunogenicity, and increases the activity of the soluble ENPP1 polypeptide. In certain embodiments, portions of the native human IgG proteins (IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4), may be used for the Fc portion (e.g., ENPP1-Fc). For instance, the present disclosure provides fusion proteins comprising ENPP1 fused to a polypeptide comprising a constant domain of an immunoglobulin, such as a CH1, CH2, or CH3 domain derived from human IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and/or IgG4. The Fc fragment may comprise regions of the native IgG such as the hinge region (residues 216-230 of human IgG1, according to the Kabat numbering system), the entire second constant domain CH2 (residues 231-340), and the third constant domain CH3 (residues 341-447).
In some embodiments, the Fc domain comprises a variant Fc constant region. In some embodiments, the variant Fc constant region comprises no more than 30 (e.g., no more than 29, 28, 27, 26, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, or two) amino acid substitutions, insertions, or deletions relative to the native constant region from which it was derived. In some embodiments, the variant Fc constant region comprises one or more amino acid substitutions selected from the group consisting of: M252Y, S254T, T256E, N434S, M428L, V259I, T250I, and V308F. In some embodiments, the variant Fc constant region comprises the amino acid substitutions M252Y, S254T, and T256E. In some embodiments, the variant human Fc constant region comprises a methionine at position 428 and an asparagine at position 434, each in EU numbering. In some embodiments, the variant Fc constant region comprises a 428L/434S double substitution as described in, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,088,376. In some embodiments, a method for determining whether a functional equivalent or functional derivative has the same or similar or higher biological activity than an ENPPl-Fc construct disclosed herein can be determined by using the Enzymology assays involving ATP cleavage described in WO 2016/187408. In some embodiments, the variant Fc region comprises amino acids 853-1079 of SEQ ID NO:95.
In some embodiments, the ENPP1 fusion protein further comprises a linker positioned between the ENPP1 polypeptide domain and the one or more heterologous protein portions (e.g., an Fc immunoglobulin domain). In certain embodiments, the soluble ENPP1 polypeptide is directly or indirectly fused to the Fc domain. In some embodiments, the soluble ENPP1 fusion protein comprises a linker between the Fc domain and the ENPP1 polypeptide. In some embodiments, a linker can be an amino acid spacer including 1-200 amino acids. Suitable peptide spacers are known in the art, and include, for example, peptide linkers containing flexible amino acid residues such as glycine, alanine, and serine. In some embodiments, the linker comprises a polyglycine linker or a Gly-Ser linker. In some embodiments, the linker amino acid sequence comprises or consists of the amino acid sequence depicted in SEQ ID NO:94.
In certain embodiments, the soluble ENPP1 polypeptide lacks a negatively-charged bone-targeting domain. In some embodiments, a polyaspartic acid domain (from about 2 to about 20 or more sequential aspartic acid residues) is a non-limiting example of a negatively-charged bone-targeting domain. In some embodiments, the negatively-charged bone-targeting domain comprises a polyaspartic acid domain comprising 8 sequential aspartic acid residues. In some embodiments, the negatively-charged bone-targeting domain comprises a polyaspartic acid domain comprising 10 sequential aspartic acid residues. In some embodiments, the soluble ENPP1 polypeptide comprises a negatively-charged bone-targeting domain. In some embodiments, a soluble ENPP1 polypeptide disclosed herein lacks a negatively-charged bone-targeting domain as previously described (PCT Application Publication Nos. WO 2011/113027 and WO 2012/125182).
Viral Vectors for In Vivo Expression of ENPP1 and ENPP3
Genetic material such as a polynucleotide comprising an NPP1 or an NPP3 sequence can be introduced to a mammal in order to compensate for a deficiency in ENPP1 or ENPP3 polypeptide
Certain modified viruses are often used as vectors to carry a coding sequence because after administration to a mammal, a virus infects a cell and expresses the encoded protein. Modified viruses useful according to the invention are derived from viruses which include, for example: parvovirus, picornavirus, pseudorabies virus, hepatitis virus A, B or C, papillomavirus, papovavirus (such as polyoma and SV40) or herpes virus (such as Epstein-Barr Virus, Varicella Zoster Virus, Cytomegalovirus, Herpes Zoster and Herpes Simplex Virus types 1 and 2), an RNA virus or a retrovirus, such as the Moloney murine leukemia virus or a lentivirus (i.e. derived from Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, equine infectious anemia virus, etc.). Among DNA viruses useful according to the invention are: Adeno-associated viruses adenoviruses, Alphaviruses, and Lentiviruses.
A viral vector is generally administered by injection, most often intravenously (by IV) directly into the body, or directly into a specific tissue, where it is taken up by individual cells. Alternately, a viral vector may be administered by contacting the viral vector ex vivo with a sample of the patient's cells, thereby allowing the viral vector to infect the cells, and cells containing the vector are then returned to the patient. Once the viral vector is delivered, the coding sequence expressed and results in a functioning protein. Generally, the infection and transduction of cells by viral vectors occur by a series of sequential events as follows: interaction of the viral capsid with receptors on the surface of the target cell, internalization by endocytosis, intracellular trafficking through the endocytic/proteasomal compartment, endosomal escape, nuclear import, virion uncoating, and viral DNA double-strand conversion that leads to the transcription and expression of the recombinant coding sequence interest. (Colella et al., Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev. 2017 Dec. 1; 8:87-104).
Adeno-Associated Viral Vectors According to the Invention
AAV refers to viruses belonging to the genus Dependovirus of the Parvoviridae family. The AAV genome is approximately 4.7 kilobases long and is composed of linear single-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (ssDNA) which may be either positive- or negative-sensed. The genome comprises inverted terminal repeats (ITRs) at both ends of the DNA strand, and two open reading frames (ORFs): rep and cap. The rep frame is made of four overlapping genes encoding non-structural replication (Rep) proteins required for the AAV life cycle. The cap frame contains overlapping nucleotide sequences of structural VP capsid proteins: VP1, VP2 and VP3, which interact together to form a capsid of an icosahedral symmetry.
The terminal 145 nucleotides are self-complementary and are organized so that an energetically stable intramolecular duplex forming a T-shaped hairpin may be formed. These hairpin structures function as an origin for viral DNA replication, serving as primers for the cellular DNA polymerase complex. Following wild type AAV infection in mammalian cells the rep genes (i.e. Rep78 and Rep52) are expressed from the P5 promoter and the P19 promoter, respectively, and both Rep proteins have a function in the replication of the viral genome. A splicing event in the rep ORF results in the expression of actually four Rep proteins (i.e. Rep78, Rep68, Rep52 and Rep40). However, it has been shown that the unspliced mRNA, encoding Rep78 and Rep52 proteins, in mammalian cells are sufficient for AAV vector production. Also in insect cells the Rep78 and Rep52 proteins suffice for AAV vector production.
The AAV vector typically lacks rep and cap frames. Such AAV vectors can be replicated and packaged into infectious viral particles when present in a host cell that has been transfected with a vector encoding and expressing rep and cap gene products (i.e. AAV Rep and Cap proteins), and wherein the host cell has been transfected with a vector which encodes and expresses a protein from the adenovirus open reading frame E4orf6.
In one embodiment, the invention relates to an adeno-associated viral (AAV) expression vector comprising a sequence encoding mammal ENPP1 or mammal ENPP3, and upon administration to a mammal the vector expresses an ENPP1 or ENPP3 precursor in a cell, the precursor including an Azurocidin signal peptide fused at its carboxy terminus to the amino terminus of ENPP1 or ENPP3. The ENPP1 or ENPP3 precursor may include a stabilizing domain, such as an IgG Fc region or human albumin. Upon secretion of the precursor from the cell, the signal peptide is cleaved off and enzymatically active soluble mammal ENPP1 or ENPP3 is provided extracellularly.
An AAV expression vector may include an expression cassette comprising a transcriptional regulatory region operatively linked to a nucleotide sequence comprising a transcriptional regulatory region operatively linked to a recombinant nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising a Azurocidin signal peptide sequence and an ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase (ENPP1) polypeptide sequence.
In some embodiments, the expression cassette comprises a promoter and enhancer, the Kozak sequence GCCACCATGG, a nucleotide sequence encoding mammal NPP1 protein or a nucleotide sequence encoding mammal NPP3 protein, other suitable regulatory elements and a polyadenylation signal.
In some embodiments, the AAV recombinant genome of the AAV vector according to the invention lacks the rep open reading frame and/or the cap open reading frame.
The AAV vector according to the invention comprises a capsid from any serotype. In general, the AAV serotypes have genomic sequences of significant homology at the amino acid and the nucleic acid levels, provide an identical set of genetic functions, and replicate and assemble through practically identical mechanisms. In particular, the AAV of the present invention may belong to the serotype 1 of AAV (AAV1), AAV2, AAV3 (including types 3A and 3B), AAV4, AAV5, AAV6, AAV7, AAV8, AAV9, AAV10, AAVrh10, AAV11, avian AAV, bovine AAV, canine AAV, equine AAV, or ovine AAV.
Examples of the sequences of the genome of the different AAV serotypes may be found in the literature or in public databases such as GenBank. For example, GenBank accession numbers NC_001401.2 (AAV2), NC_001829.1 (AAV4), NC_006152.1 (AAV5), AF028704.1 (AAV6), NC_006260.1 (AAV7), NC_006261.1 (AAV8), AX753250.1 (AAV9) and AX753362.1 (AAV10).
In some embodiments, the adeno-associated viral vector according to the invention comprises a capsid derived from a serotype selected from the group consisting of the AAV2, AAV5, AAV7, AAV8, AAV9, AAV10 and AAVrh10 serotypes. In another embodiment, the serotype of the AAV is AAV8. If the viral vector comprises sequences encoding the capsid proteins, these may be modified so as to comprise an exogenous sequence to direct the AAV to a particular cell type or types, or to increase the efficiency of delivery of the targeted vector to a cell, or to facilitate purification or detection of the AAV, or to reduce the host response.
The published application, US 2017/0290926—Smith et al., the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein, describes in detail the process by which AAV vectors are generated, delivered and administered.
Adeno Viral Vectors Useful According to the Invention
Adenovirus can be manipulated such that it encodes and expresses the desired gene product, (e.g., ENPP1 or ENPP3), and at the same time is inactivated in terms of its ability to replicate in a normal lytic viral life cycle. In addition, adenovirus has a natural tropism for airway epithelial. The viruses are able to infect quiescent cells as are found in the airways, offering a major advantage over retroviruses. Adenovirus expression is achieved without integration of the viral DNA into the host cell chromosome, thereby alleviating concerns about insertional mutagenesis. Furthermore, adenoviruses have been used as live enteric vaccines for many years with an excellent safety profile (Schwartz, A. R. et al. (1974) Am. Rev. Respir. Dis. 109:233-238). Finally, adenovirus mediated gene transfer has been demonstrated in a number of instances including transfer of alpha-1-antitrypsin and CFTR to the lungs of cotton rats (Rosenfeld, M. A. et al. (1991) Science 252:431-434; Rosenfeld et al., (1992) Cell 68:143-155). Furthermore, extensive studies to attempt to establish adenovirus as a causative agent in human cancer were uniformly negative (Green, M et al. (1979) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 76:6606).
Pseudo-Adenovirus Vectors (PAV)—PAVs contain adenovirus inverted terminal repeats and the minimal adenovirus 5′ sequences required for helper virus dependent replication and packaging of the vector. These vectors contain no potentially harmful viral genes, have a theoretical capacity for foreign material of nearly 36 kb, may be produced in reasonably high titers and maintain the tropism of the parent virus for dividing and non-dividing human target cell types. The PAV vector can be maintained as either a plasmid-borne construct or as an infectious viral particle. As a plasmid construct, PAV is composed of the minimal sequences from wild type adenovirus type 2 necessary for efficient replication and packaging of these sequences and any desired additional exogenous genetic material, by either a wild-type or defective helper virus.
The US patent publication, U.S. Pat. No. 7,318,919—Gregory et al., describes in detail the process by which adenoviral vectors are generated, delivered and their corresponding use for treatment of diseases, the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein. The present invention contemplates the use of Adenoviral vectors to deliver nucleotides encoding ENPP1 or ENPP3 to a subject in need thereof and the methods of treatment using the same.
Herpes Simplex Vectors Useful According to the Invention
A Herpes Simplex Vector (HSV based viral vector) is suitable for use as a vector to introduce a nucleic acid sequence into numerous cell types. The mature HSV virion consists of an enveloped icosahedral capsid with a viral genome consisting of a linear double-stranded DNA molecule that is 152 kb. In another embodiment, the HSV based viral vector is deficient in at least one essential HSV gene. In some embodiments, the HSV based viral vector that is deficient in at least one essential HSV gene is replication deficient. Most replication deficient HSV vectors contain a deletion to remove one or more intermediate-early, early, or late HSV genes to prevent replication. For example, the HSV vector may be deficient in an immediate early gene selected from the group consisting of: ICP4, ICP22, ICP27, ICP47, and a combination thereof. Advantages of the HSV vector are its ability to enter a latent stage that can result in long-term DNA expression and its large viral DNA genome that can accommodate exogenous DNA inserts of up to 25 kb.
HSV-based vectors are described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,837,532—Preston et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,782—Wickham et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,804,413—Deluca et al., and International Patent Applications WO 91/02788—Preston et al., WO 96/04394—Preston et al., WO 98/15637—Deluca et al., and WO 99/06583—Glorioso et al., which are incorporated herein by reference. The HSV vector can be deficient in replication-essential gene functions of only the early regions of the HSV genome, only the immediate-early regions of the HSV genome, only the late regions of the HSV genome, or both the early and late regions of the HSV genome. The production of HSV vectors involves using standard molecular biological techniques well known in the art.
Replication deficient HSV vectors are typically produced in complementing cell lines that provide gene functions not present in the replication deficient HSV vectors, but required for viral propagation, at appropriate levels in order to generate high titers of viral vector stock. The expression of the nucleic acid sequence encoding the protein is controlled by a suitable expression control sequence operably linked to the nucleic acid sequence. An “expression control sequence” is any nucleic acid sequence that promotes, enhances, or controls expression (typically and preferably transcription) of another nucleic acid sequence.
Suitable expression control sequences include constitutive promoters, inducible promoters, repressible promoters, and enhancers. The nucleic acid sequence encoding the protein in the vector can be regulated by its endogenous promoter or, preferably, by a non-native promoter sequence. Examples of suitable non-native promoters include the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) promoters, such as the HCMV immediate-early promoter (HCMV IEp), promoters derived from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), such as the HIV long terminal repeat promoter, the phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) promoter, Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) promoters, such as the RSV long terminal repeat, mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) promoters, the Lap2 promoter, or the herpes thymidine kinase promoter (Wagner et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 78, 1444-1445 (1981)), promoters derived from SV40 or Epstein Barr virus, and the like. In another embodiment, the promoter is HCMV IEp.
The promoter can also be an inducible promoter, i.e., a promoter that is up- and/or down-regulated in response to an appropriate signal. For example, an expression control sequence up-regulated by a pharmaceutical agent is particularly useful in pain management applications. For example, the promoter can be a pharmaceutically-inducible promoter (e.g., responsive to tetracycline). The promoter can be introduced into the genome of the vector by methods known in the art, for example, by the introduction of a unique restriction site at a given region of the genome.
The US patent publication, U.S. Pat. No. 7,531,167—Glorioso et al., describes in detail the process by which Herpes Simplex vectors are generated, delivered and their corresponding use for treatment of diseases, the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein. The present invention contemplates the use of Herpes Simplex vectors to deliver nucleotides encoding ENPP1 or ENPP3 to a subject in need thereof and the methods of treatment using the same.
Alphaviral Vectors Useful According to the Invention
Alphaviral expression vectors have been developed from different types of alphavirus, including Sindbis virus (SIN), Semliki Forest Virus (SFV) and Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) virus. The alphavirus replicon contains at its 5′ end an open reading frame encoding viral replicase (Rep) which is translated when viral RNA is transfected into cells. Rep is expressed as a polyprotein which is subsequently processed into four subunits (nsps 1 to 4). Unprocessed Rep can copy the RNA vector into negative-strand RNA, a process that only takes place during the first 3 to 4 hours after transfection or infection. Once processed, the Rep will use the negative-strand RNA as a template for synthesizing more replicon molecules. Processed Rep can also recognize an internal sequence in the negative-strand RNA, or subgenomic promoter, from which it will synthesize a subgenomic positive-strand RNA corresponding to the 3′ end of the replicon. This subgenomic RNA will be translated to produce the heterologous protein in large amounts.
A non-cytopathic mutant isolated from SIN containing a single amino acid change (P for L) in position 726 in nsp2 (SIN P726L vector in nsp2) showed Rep hyper processing (Frolov et al., 1999, J Virol. 73: 3854-65). This mutant was capable of efficiently establishing continuous replication in BHK cells. This non-cytopathic SIN vector has been widely used in vitro as it is capable of providing long-lasting transgene expression with good stability levels and expression levels that were about 4% of those obtained with the original SIN vector (Agapov et al., 1998, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 95: 12989-94). Likewise, the Patent application WO2008065225—Smerdou et al., describes a non-cytopathic SFV vector has mutations R649H/P718T in the replicase nsp2 subunit. The aforesaid vector allows obtaining cell lines capable of constitutively and stably expressing the gene of interest by means of culturing in the presence of an antibiotic the resistance gene of which is incorporated in the alphaviral vector (Casales et al. 2008. Virology. 376:242-51).
The invention contemplates designing a vector comprising a DNA sequence complementary to an alphavirus replicon in which a sequence of a gene of interest such as NPP1 or NPP3 has been incorporated along with recognition sequences for site-specific recombination. By means of said vector, it is possible to obtain and select cells in which the alphaviral replicon, including the sequence of the gene of interest, has been integrated in the cell genome, such that the cells stably express ENPP1 or ENPP3 polypeptide. The invention also contemplates generating an expression vector in which the alphaviral replicon is under the control of an inducible promoter. Said vector when incorporated to cells which have additionally been modified by means of incorporating an expression cassette encoding a transcriptional activator which, in the presence of a given ligand, is capable of positively regulating the activity of the promoter which regulates alphavirus replicon transcription.
The US patent publication, U.S. Pat. No. 10,011,847—Aranda et al., describes in detail the process by which Alphaviral vectors are generated, delivered and their corresponding use for treatment of diseases, the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein. The present invention contemplates the use of Alphaviral vectors to deliver nucleotides encoding ENPP1 or ENPP3 to a subject in need thereof and methods of treatment using the same.
Lentiviral Vectors Useful According to the Invention
Lentiviruses belong to a genus of viruses of the Retroviridae family and are characterized by a long incubation period. Lentiviruses can deliver a significant amount of viral RNA into the DNA of the host cell and have the unique ability among retroviruses of being able to infect non-dividing cells. Lentiviral vectors, especially those derived from HIV-1, are widely studied and frequently used vectors. The evolution of the lentiviral vectors backbone and the ability of viruses to deliver recombinant DNA molecules (transgenes) into target cells have led to their use in restoration of functional genes in genetic therapy and in vitro recombinant protein production.
The invention contemplates a lentiviral vector comprising a suitable promoter and a transgene to express protein of interest such as ENPP1 or ENPP3. Typically, the backbone of the vector is from a simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), such as SIV1 or African green monkey SIV (SIV-AGM). In one embodiment, the promoter is preferably a hybrid human CMV enhancer/EF1a (hCEF) promoter. The present invention encompasses methods of manufacturing Lentiviral vectors, compositions comprising Lentiviral vectors expressing genes of interest, and use in gene therapy to express ENPP1 or ENPP3 protein in order to treat diseases of calcification or ossification. The lentiviral vectors according to the invention can also be used in methods of gene therapy to promote secretion of therapeutic proteins. By way of further example, the invention provides secretion of therapeutic proteins into the lumen of the respiratory tract or the circulatory system. Thus, administration of a vector according to the invention and its uptake by airway cells may enable the use of the lungs (or nose or airways) as a “factory” to produce a therapeutic protein that is then secreted and enters the general circulation at therapeutic levels, where it can travel to cells/tissues of interest to elicit a therapeutic effect. In contrast to intracellular or membrane proteins, the production of such secreted proteins does not rely on specific disease target cells being transduced, which is a significant advantage and achieves high levels of protein expression. Thus, other diseases which are not respiratory tract diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and blood disorders can also be treated by the Lentiviral vectors. Lentiviral vectors, such as those according to the invention, can integrate into the genome of transduced cells and lead to long-lasting expression, making them suitable for transduction of stem/progenitor cells.
The US patent application publication, US 2017/0096684-Alton et al., describes in detail the process by which Lentiviral vectors are generated, delivered and their corresponding use for treatment of diseases, the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein. The present invention contemplates the use of Lentiviral vectors to deliver nucleotides encoding ENPP1 or ENPP3 to a subject in need thereof and the methods of treatment using the same.
Non-Viral Vectors According to the Invention
Non-viral vector-based delivery of recombinant nucleic acid includes but not limited to physical methods such as ballistic DNA, electroporation, sonoporation, photoporation, magnetofection, hydroporation and chemical methods which involve the use of one or more of DNA/cationic lipid (lipoplexes), DNA/cationic polymer (polyplexes) and DNA/cationic polymer/cationic lipid (lipopolyplexes), ionizable lipids, lipidoids, peptide-based vectors and polymer-based vectors. (See Nonviral gene delivery: principle, limitations, and recent progress, Al-Dosari M S et al., AAPS J. 2009 December; 11(4):671-81; Gascon et al., Non viral delivery systems in gene therapy. In Gene therapy—tools and potential application. 2013; “Non viral vectors in gene therapy—an overview.”, Ramamoorth et al., Journal of clinical and diagnostic research: JCDR vol. 9.1 (2015))
In some embodiments, non-viral vectors are used to deliver recombinant nucleic acid encoding the catalytic domain of an ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (ENPP1) polypeptide or ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-3 (ENPP3) polypeptide.
In some embodiments, non-viral vectors are used to deliver recombinant nucleic acid, wherein said nucleic acid comprises (a) a liver specific promoter and (b) nucleotide sequence encoding an ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (ENPP1) polypeptide or ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-3 (ENPP3) polypeptide.
Some non-limiting examples of lipid-based delivery include cationic lipids, lipid nano emulsions, lipidoids lipid nano particles (LPN) and solid lipid nanoparticles. (See Lipid Nanoparticles for Gene Delivery, Yi Zhao et al., Adv Genet. 2014; 88: 13-36).
Lipid nano particles (LNPs) have shown robust capability to condense and deliver various nuclei acid molecules ranging in size from several nucleotides (RNA) to several million nucleotides (chromosomes) to cells. LNPs can also be easily modified by the incorporation of targeting ligands to facilitate focused delivery of recombinant nucleic acid to desired area of interest such as liver, kidney, brain, heart and spleen etc. Cationic lipids typically have positively charged hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tail with linker structure that connects both. The positively charged head group binds with negatively charged phosphate group in nucleic acids and form uniquely compacted structure called lipoplexes. Transfection efficiency depends on overall geometric shape, number of charged group per molecules, nature of lipid anchor and linker bondage. Lipoplexes due to their positive charge electrostatically interact with negatively charged glycoproteins and proteoglycans of cell membrane which may facilitate cellular uptake of nucleic acids. The positively charged lipids surrounding the genetic material help it to protect against intracellular and extracellular nucleases.
In some embodiments, a neutral polymer like polyethylene glycol (PEG) can be used as surface coating on lipoplexes to overcome the excessive charge and to prolong the stability/half-life of the LNP. In some embodiments the LNPs comprise conjugation with one or more of iron-saturated transferrin (Tf) (Huang et al., 2013), folic acid (Hu et al., Surfactant-free, lipo-polymersomes stabilized by iron oxide nanoparticles/polymer interlayer for synergistically targeted and magnetically guided gene delivery. Advanced Healthcare Materials. 2014, 3(2):273-282; Xiang et al. PSA-responsive and PSMA-mediated multifunctional liposomes for targeted therapy of prostate cancer. Biomaterials. 2013; 34(28):6976-6991), Arginylglycylaspartic acid (RGD) (Han et al., Targeted gene silencing using RGD-labeled chitosan nanoparticles. Clinical Cancer Research. 2010; 16(15):3910-3922; Majzoub et al., Uptake and transfection efficiency of PEGylated cationic liposome-DNA complexes with and without RGD-tagging, Biomaterials. 2014; 35(18):4996-5005), and anisamide (Li et al., Efficient oncogene silencing and metastasis inhibition via systemic delivery of siRNA, Molecular Therapy. 2008; 16(5):942-946).
In some embodiments, the LNP is conjugated with a pH-sensitive linker applied to nanoparticles to achieve more specific delivery, for example, diorthoester, orthoester, vinyl ether, phosphoramidate, hydrazine, and beta-thiopropionate (Romberg et al., Sheddable coatings for long-circulating nanoparticles, Pharmaceutical Research. 2008; 25(1):55-71).
In some embodiments, the LNP have a magnetic core with a lipid coating referred to as magnetic LNPs that can be functionalized by attaching therapeutic nucleic acid comprising a vector or a plasmid capable of expressing encoded polypeptide (NPP1 or NPP3) to correct a genetic defect.
In some embodiments, the LNPs are modified with targeting moiety in order to deliver the recombinant nucleic acid to liver, for example using a vitamin A-coupled liposome (Sato et al., Resolution of liver cirrhosis using vitamin A-coupled liposomes to deliver siRNA against a collagen-specific chaperone. Nature Biotechnology. 2008; 26(4):431-442).
In some embodiments the LNPs are modified with targeting moiety so that they are directed to specific receptors such as but not limited to collagen type VI receptor (Du et al., Cyclic Arg-Gly-Asp peptide-labeled liposomes for targeting drug therapy of hepatic fibrosis in rats, Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. 2007; 322(2):560-568), mannose-6-phosphate receptor (Adrian et al., Effects of a new bioactive lipid-based drug carrier on cultured hepatic stellate cells and liver fibrosis in bile duct-ligated rats, Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. 2007; 321(2): 536-543), and galactose receptor (Mandal et al., Hepatoprotective activity of liposomal flavonoid against arsenite-induced liver fibrosis, Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. 2007; 320(3):994-1001).
Ionizable lipids are class of lipids that can self-assemble into nanoparticles when mixed with polyanionic nucleic acids. Ionizable cationic lipids with modulated pKa values increase nucleic acid payload and enhance the therapeutic efficacy of gene therapy. At formulating step, where there is a low pH condition, ionizable lipids will become positive charged, resulting in high nucleic acids loading. While, upon injection, in physiological environments where the pH is above the pKa of the ionizable lipids, the surface of the LNPs has an almost neutral charge that can evade reticuloendothelial system (RES) uptake, improve circulation, and reduce toxicity. However, once nanoparticles are internalized into the endosome, where the pH is lower than the pKa of the lipids, the amino group of the ionizable lipid becomes protonated and associates with the anionic endosomal lipids, which facilitate endosome escape. Some non-limiting examples of ionizable cationic lipids include DLin-KC2-DMA (2,2-dilin-oleyl-4-(2-dimethylaminoethyl)-[1,3]-dioxolane) with a pKa of 6.7, and DLin-MC3-DMA (1,2-dilinoleyloxy-N,N-dimethyl-3-aminopropane) with a pKa of 6.4. (Jayaraman et al., Maximizing the potency of siRNA lipid nanoparticles for hepatic gene silencing in vivo, Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 2012; 51(34):8529-8533).
Lipidoids are a new class of lipid-like material which contain tertiary amines. They are prepared by conjugating commercially available amines Notably, the synthesis reaction for generating a lipidoid library proceeds in the absence of solvent or catalysts, and thereby eliminates the purification or concentration steps. Lipidoids and lipids share many of the physicochemical properties that drive the formation of liposomes for gene delivery. However, lipidoids are easy to synthesize and purify and do not require a colipid for efficient DNA delivery. (See Akinc et al. Development of lipidoid siRNA formulations for systemic delivery to the liver, Molecular Therapy. 2009; 17(5):872-879; Sun et al., Combinatorial library of lipidoids for in vitro DNA delivery. Bioconjugate Chemistry. 2012; 23(1):135-140).
Lipid emulsion is a dispersion of one immiscible liquid in another stabilized by emulsifying agent. They are particles of around 200 nm comprises of oil, water and surfactant. Recombinant nucleic acids are added to the mixture prior to the creation of lipid emulsion allowing the nucleic acids to be encapsulated by the nanoparticles created in the emulsion.
Solid lipid particles are made from lipids which remain in solid state at both room temperature and body temperature. It has advantages of both cationic lipids and lipid nano emulsions. Cationic solid lipid nanoparticle can effectively protect nucleic acid from nuclease degradation.
Peptide based vectors are advantageous over other non-viral vectors in tight compact and protecting DNA, target specific cell receptor, disrupting endosomal membrane and delivering genetic cargo into nucleus. Cationic peptides that are rich in basic residues like lysine and/or arginine are commonly used for delivery of recombinant nucleic acid. Attaching peptide ligands to polyplex or lipoplexes enables vector to direct towards a specific target. In some embodiments, a short peptide sequence taken from viral protein enables the vector to provide nuclear localization signal that assist transport of genetic material into nucleus. Due to these advantages, peptides are frequently used to functionalize cationic lipoplexes or polyplexes (See Kang et al., Peptide-based gene delivery vectors, J Mater Chem B. 2019 Mar. 21; 7(11):1824-1841). Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are one such class of peptide-based vectors, CPPs are relatively short, cationic, and/or amphipathic peptides that possess the ability to deliver recombinant nucleic acid into cells both in vitro and in vivo. (See Said Hassane et al., B Cell penetrating peptides: overview and applications to the delivery of oligonucleotides, Cell Mol Life Sci. 2010 March; 67(5):715-26.)
Polymer based vectors such as cationic polymers mix with DNA to form nanosized complex called polyplexes. Polyplexes are more stable than lipoplexes. Polymers are categorized into natural and synthetic polymers. Some non-limiting examples of natural polymers include polysaccharides such as Chitosan, proteins, and peptides. Chitosan is a natural polymer based on cationic polysaccharide. It is nontoxic even at high concentrations. It is a linear cationic polysaccharide composed of glucosamine. The positive charge of chitosan electrostatically binds with negative charged DNA. On account of its mucoadhesive properties chitosan/DNA polyplexes are suitable in oral and nasal gene therapy. In some embodiments, Chitosan is conjugated to folic acid to effectively cross over intracellular barriers.
Some non-limiting examples of synthetic polymers include Polyethylene mine (PEI), Dendrimers, and Polyphosphoesters. Cationic polymers such as PEI have high density amine groups which exert protein sponge effect that ultimately stops the acidification of endosomal pH. This leads to the influx of chloride within the compartment and increases the osmotic pressure, leading to the swelling and rupture of endosomal membrane. In some embodiments, the synthetic polymers used in delivery of recombinant nucleic acid is biodegradable. Poly (DL-Lactide) (PLA) and Poly (DL-Lactide-co-glycoside) (PLGA are biodegradable polyesters undergo bulk hydrolysis thus providing sustained delivery of recombinant nucleic acid. Dendrimer are symmetrical in size and shape with terminal group functionality. Dendrimers bind to recombinant nucleic acids when positively charged peripheral groups interact with nucleic acids in physiological pH. due to nanometric size it can interact effectively with cell membranes, organelles, and proteins. Polymethacrylate are vinyl-based polymer able to condense polynucleotides into nanometer size particle.
The disclosure thus envisions the use of non-viral vectors to deliver recombinant nucleic acid wherein said nucleic acid comprises a vector or a plasmid capable of expressing said encoded polypeptide.
MTRLTVLALLAGLLASSRA**A
PSCAKEVKSCKGRCFERTFGNCRCDAACVELGNCCLDYQETCIEPEHI
VDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQV
YTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQ
QGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGK
MTRLTVLALLAGLLASSRA**A
PSCAKEVKSCKGRCFERTFGNCRCDAACVELGNCCLDYQETCIEPEHI
SYDEHAKLVQEVTDFAKTCVADESAANCDKSLHTLFGDKLCAIPNLRENYGELADCCTKQEPERNECFLQ
HKDDNPSLPPFERPEAEAMCTSFKENPTTFMGHYLHEVARRHPYFYAPELLYYAEQYNEILTQCCAEADK
ESCLTPKLDGVKEKALVSSVRQRMKCSSMQKFGERAFKAWAVARLSQTFPNADFAEITKLATDLTKVNKE
CCHGDLLECADDRAELAKYMCENQATISSKLQTCCDKPLLKKAHCLSEVEHDTMPADLPAIAADFVEDQE
VCKNYAEAKDVFLGTFLYEYSRRHPDYSVSLLLRLAKKYEATLEKCCAEANPPACYGTVLAEFQPLVEEP
KNLVKTNCDLYEKLGEYGFQNAILVRYTQKAPQVSTPTLVEAARNLGRVGTKCCTLPEDQRLPCVEDYLS
AILNRVCLLHEKTPVSEHVTKCCSGSLVERRPCFSALTVDETYVPKEFKAETFTFHSDICTLPEKEKQIK
KQTALAELVKHKPKATAEQLKTVMDDFAQFLDTCCKAADKDTCFSTEGPNLVTRCKDALARSWSHPQFEK
MTRLTVLALLAGLLASSRA**A
PSCAKEVKSCKGRCFERTEGNCRCDAACVELGNCCLDYQETCIEPEHI
SCAKEVKSCKGRCFERTEGNCRCDAACVELGNCCLDYQETCIEPEHIWTCNKFRCGEKRLTRSLCACSDD
MTRLTVLALLAGLLASSRA**A
KQGSCRKKCFDASERGLENCRCDVACKDRGDCCWDFEDTCVES
YVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKALPAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQ
VYTLPPSREEMTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRW
QQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPGK
MTRLTVLALLAGLLASSRA**A
KQGSCRKKCFDASFRGLENCRCDVACKDRGDCCWDFEDTCVES
CSYDEHAKLVQEVTDFAKTCVADESAANCDKSLHTLFGDKLCAIPNLRENYGELADCCTKQEPERNECFL
QHKDDNPSLPPFERPEAEAMCTSFKENPTTFMGHYLHEVARRHPYFYAPELLYYAEQYNEILTQCCAEAD
KESCLTPKLDGVKEKALVSSVRQRMKCSSMQKFGERAFKAWAVARLSQTFPNADFAEITKLATDLTKVNK
ECCHGDLLECADDRAELAKYMCENQATISSKLQTCCDKPLLKKAHCLSEVEHDTMPADLPAIAADFVEDQ
EVCKNYAEAKDVFLGTFLYEYSRRHPDYSVSLLLRLAKKYEATLEKCCAEANPPACYGTVLAEFQPLVEE
PKNLVKTNCDLYEKLGEYGFQNAILVRYTQKAPQVSTPTLVEAARNLGRVGTKCCTLPEDQRLPCVEDYL
SAILNRVCLLHEKTPVSEHVTKCCSGSLVERRPCFSALTVDETYVPKEFKAETFTFHSDICTLPEKEKQI
KKQTALAELVKHKPKATAEQLKTVMDDFAQFLDTCCKAADKDTCFSTEGPNLVTRCKDALARSWSHPQFE
K
MTRLTVLALLAGLLASSRA**A
KQGSCRKKCFDASERGLENCRCDVACKDRGDCCWDFEDTCVES
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Leu Leu Phe Val Ser Gly Ser Ala Phe Ser Arg Gly Val Phe Arg Arg
Glu Ala His Lys Ser Glu Ile Ala His Arg Tyr Asn Asp Leu Gly Glu
Gln His Phe Lys Gly Leu Val Leu Ile Ala Phe Ser Gln Tyr Leu Gln
Lys Cys Ser Tyr Asp Glu His Ala Lys Leu Val Gln Glu Val Thr Asp
Phe Ala Lys Thr Cys Val Ala Asp Glu Ser Ala Ala Asn Cys Asp Lys
Ser Leu His Thr Leu Phe Gly Asp Lys Leu Cys Ala Ile Pro Asn Leu
Arg Glu Asn Tyr Gly Glu Leu Ala Asp Cys Cys Thr Lys Gln Glu Pro
Glu Arg Asn Glu Cys Phe Leu Gln His Lys Asp Asp Asn Pro Ser Leu
Pro Pro Phe Glu Arg Pro Glu Ala Glu Ala Met Cys Thr Ser Phe Lys
Glu Asn Pro Thr Thr Phe Met Gly His Tyr Leu His Glu Val Ala
Arg Arg His Pro Tyr Phe Tyr Ala Pro Glu Leu Leu Tyr Tyr Ala
Glu Gln Tyr Asn Glu Ile Leu Thr Gln Cys Cys Ala Glu Ala Asp
Lys Glu Ser Cys Leu Thr Pro Lys Leu Asp Gly Val Lys Glu Lys
Ala Leu Val Ser Ser Val Arg Gln Arg Met Lys Cys Ser Ser Met
Gln Lys Phe Gly Glu Arg Ala Phe Lys Ala Trp Ala Val Ala Arg
Leu Ser Gln Thr Phe Pro Asn Ala Asp Phe Ala Glu Ile Thr Lys
Leu Ala Thr Asp Leu Thr Lys Val Asn Lys Glu Cys Cys His Gly
Asp Leu Leu Glu Cys Ala Asp Asp Arg Ala Glu Leu Ala Lys Tyr
Met Cys Glu Asn Gln Ala Thr Ile Ser Ser Lys Leu Gln Thr Cys
Cys Asp Lys Pro Leu Leu Lys Lys Ala His Cys Leu Ser Glu Val
Glu His Asp Thr Met Pro Ala Asp Leu Pro Ala Ile Ala Ala Asp
Phe Val Glu Asp Gln Glu Val Cys Lys Asn Tyr Ala Glu Ala Lys
Asp Val Phe Leu Gly Thr Phe Leu Tyr Glu Tyr Ser Arg Arg His
Pro Asp Tyr Ser Val Ser Leu Leu Leu Arg Leu Ala Lys Lys Tyr
Glu Ala Thr Leu Glu Lys Cys Cys Ala Glu Ala Asn Pro Pro Ala
Cys Tyr Gly Thr Val Leu Ala Glu Phe Gln Pro Leu Val Glu Glu
Pro Lys Asn Leu Val Lys Thr Asn Cys Asp Leu Tyr Glu Lys Leu
Gly Glu Tyr Gly Phe Gln Asn Ala Ile Leu Val Arg Tyr Thr Gln
Lys Ala Pro Gln Val Ser Thr Pro Thr Leu Val Glu Ala Ala Arg
Asn Leu Gly Arg Val Gly Thr Lys Cys Cys Thr Leu Pro Glu Asp
Gln Arg Leu Pro Cys Val Glu Asp Tyr Leu Ser Ala Ile Leu Asn
Arg Val Cys Leu Leu His Glu Lys Thr Pro Val Ser Glu His Val
Thr Lys Cys Cys Ser Gly Ser Leu Val Glu Arg Arg Pro Cys Phe
Ser Ala Leu Thr Val Asp Glu Thr Tyr Val Pro Lys Glu Phe Lys
Ala Glu Thr Phe Thr Phe His Ser Asp Ile Cys Thr Leu
Met Arg Gly Pro Ala Val Leu Leu Thr Val Ala Leu Ala Thr Leu Leu
Ala Pro Gly Ala**Lys Gln Gly Ser Cys Arg Lys Lys Cys Phe Asp Ala
Phe Leu Leu Leu Leu Phe Val Ser Gly Ser Ala Phe Ser Arg Gly Val
Leu Gly Glu Gln His Phe Lys Gly Leu Val Leu Ile Ala Phe Ser Gln
Tyr Leu Gln Lys Cys Ser Tyr Asp Glu His Ala Lys Leu Val Gln Glu
Val Thr Asp Phe Ala Lys Thr Cys Val Ala Asp Glu Ser Ala Ala Asn
Cys Asp Lys Ser Leu His Thr Leu Phe Gly Asp Lys Leu Cys Ala Ile
Pro Asn Leu Arg Glu Asn Tyr Gly Glu Leu Ala Asp Cys Cys Thr Lys
Gln Glu Pro Glu Arg Asn Glu Cys Phe Leu Gln His Lys Asp Asp Asn
Pro Ser Leu Pro Pro Phe Glu Arg Pro Glu Ala Glu Ala Met Cys Thr
Ser Phe Lys Glu Asn Pro Thr Thr Phe Met Gly His Tyr Leu His
Glu Val Ala Arg Arg His Pro Tyr Phe Tyr Ala Pro Glu Leu Leu
Tyr Tyr Ala Glu Gln Tyr Asn Glu Ile Leu Thr Gln Cys Cys Ala
Glu Ala Asp Lys Glu Ser Cys Leu Thr Pro Lys Leu Asp Gly Val
Lys Glu Lys Ala Leu Val Ser Ser Val Arg Gln Arg Met Lys Cys
Ser Ser Met Gln Lys Phe Gly Glu Arg Ala Phe Lys Ala Trp Ala
Val Ala Arg Leu Ser Gln Thr Phe Pro Asn Ala Asp Phe Ala Glu
Ile Thr Lys Leu Ala Thr Asp Leu Thr Lys Val Asn Lys Glu Cys
Cys His Gly Asp Leu Leu Glu Cys Ala Asp Asp Arg Ala Glu Leu
Ala Lys Tyr Met Cys Glu Asn Gln Ala Thr Ile Ser Ser Lys Leu
Gln Thr Cys Cys Asp Lys Pro Leu Leu Lys Lys Ala His Cys Leu
Ser Glu Val Glu His Asp Thr Met Pro Ala Asp Leu Pro Ala Ile
Ala Ala Asp Phe Val Glu Asp Gln Glu Val Cys Lys Asn Tyr Ala
Glu Ala Lys Asp Val Phe Leu Gly Thr Phe Leu Tyr Glu Tyr Ser
Arg Arg His Pro Asp Tyr Ser Val Ser Leu Leu Leu Arg Leu Ala
Lys Lys Tyr Glu Ala Thr Leu Glu Lys Cys Cys Ala Glu Ala Asn
Pro Pro Ala Cys Tyr Gly Thr Val Leu Ala Glu Phe Gln Pro Leu
Val Glu Glu Pro Lys Asn Leu Val Lys Thr Asn Cys Asp Leu Tyr
Glu Lys Leu Gly Glu Tyr Gly Phe Gln Asn Ala Ile Leu Val Arg
Tyr Thr Gln Lys Ala Pro Gln Val Ser Thr Pro Thr Leu Val Glu
Ala Ala Arg Asn Leu Gly Arg Val Gly Thr Lys Cys Cys Thr Leu
Pro Glu Asp Gln Arg Leu Pro Cys Val Glu Asp Tyr Leu Ser Ala
Ile Leu Asn Arg Val Cys Leu Leu His Glu Lys Thr Pro Val Ser
Glu His Val Thr Lys Cys Cys Ser Gly Ser Leu Val Glu Arg Arg
Glu His Val Thr Lys Cys Cys Ser Gly Ser Leu Val Glu Arg Arg
Pro Cys Phe Ser Ala Leu Thr Val Asp Glu Thr Tyr Val Pro Lys
Glu Phe Lys Ala Glu Thr Phe Thr Phe His Ser Asp Ile Cys Thr
Leu Pro Glu Lys Glu Lys Gln Ile Lys Lys Gln Thr Ala Leu Ala
Glu Leu Val Lys His Lys Pro Lys Ala Thr Ala Glu Gln Leu Lys
Thr Val Met Asp Asp Phe Ala Gln Phe Leu Asp Thr Cys Cys Lys
Ala Ala Asp Lys Asp Thr Cys Phe Ser Thr Glu Gly Pro Asn Leu
Val Thr Arg Cys Lys Asp Ala Leu Ala
Met Arg Gly Pro Ala Val Leu Leu Thr Val Ala Leu Ala Thr Leu Leu
Ala Pro Gly Ala**Lys Gln Gly Ser Cys Arg Lys Lys Cys Phe Asp Ala
Gly Ser Ala Phe Ser Arg Gly Val Phe Arg Arg Glu Ala His Lys Ser
Glu Ile Ala His Arg Tyr Asn Asp Leu Gly Glu GIn His Phe Lys Gly
Leu Val Leu Ile Ala Phe Ser Gln Tyr Leu Gln Lys Cys Ser Tyr Asp
Glu His Ala Lys Leu Val Gln Glu Val Thr Asp Phe Ala Lys Thr Cys
Val Ala Asp Glu Ser Ala Ala Asn Cys Asp Lys Ser Leu His Thr Leu
Phe Gly Asp Lys Leu Cys Ala Ile Pro Asn Leu Arg Glu Asn Tyr Gly
Glu Leu Ala Asp Cys Cys Thr Lys Gln Glu Pro Glu Arg Asn Glu
Cys Phe Leu Gln His Lys Asp Asp Asn Pro Ser Leu Pro Pro Phe
Glu Arg Pro Glu Ala Glu Ala Met Cys Thr Ser Phe Lys Glu Asn
Pro Thr Thr Phe Met Gly His Tyr Leu His Glu Val Ala Arg Arg
His Pro Tyr Phe Tyr Ala Pro Glu Leu Leu Tyr Tyr Ala Glu Gln
Tyr Asn Glu Ile Leu Thr Gln Cys Cys Ala Glu Ala Asp Lys Glu
Ser Cys Leu Thr Pro Lys Leu Asp Gly Val Lys Glu Lys Ala Leu
Val Ser Ser Val Arg Gln Arg Met Lys Cys Ser Ser Met Gln Lys
Phe Gly Glu Arg Ala Phe Lys Ala Trp Ala Val Ala Arg Leu Ser
Gln Thr Phe Pro Asn Ala Asp Phe Ala Glu Ile Thr Lys Leu Ala
Thr Asp Leu Thr Lys Val Asn Lys Glu Cys Cys His Gly Asp Leu
Leu Glu Cys Ala Asp Asp Arg Ala Glu Leu Ala Lys Tyr Met Cys
Glu Asn Gln Ala Thr Ile Ser Ser Lys Leu Gln Thr Cys Cys Asp
Lys Pro Leu Leu Lys Lys Ala His Cys Leu Ser Glu Val Glu His
Asp Thr Met Pro Ala Asp Leu Pro Ala Ile Ala Ala Asp Phe Val
Glu Asp Gln Glu Val Cys Lys Asn Tyr Ala Glu Ala Lys Asp Val
Phe Leu Gly Thr Phe Leu Tyr Glu Tyr Ser Arg Arg His Pro Asp
Tyr Ser Val Ser Leu Leu Leu Arg Leu Ala Lys Lys Tyr Glu Ala
Thr Leu Glu Lys Cys Cys Ala Glu Ala Asn Pro Pro Ala Cys Tyr
Gly Thr Val Leu Ala Glu Phe Gln Pro Leu Val Glu Glu Pro Lys
Asn Leu Val Lys Thr Asn Cys Asp Leu Tyr Glu Lys Leu Gly Glu
Tyr Gly Phe Gln Asn Ala Ile Leu Val Arg Tyr Thr Gln Lys Ala
Pro Gln Val Ser Thr Pro Thr Leu Val Glu Ala Ala Arg Asn Leu
Gly Arg Val Gly Thr Lys Cys Cys Thr Leu Pro Glu Asp Gln Arg
Leu Pro Cys Val Glu Asp Tyr Leu Ser Ala Ile Leu Asn Arg Val
Cys Leu Leu His Glu Lys Thr Pro Val Ser Glu His Val Thr Lys
Cys Cys Ser Gly Ser Leu Val Glu Arg Arg Pro Cys Phe Ser Ala
Leu Thr Val Asp Glu Thr Tyr Val Pro Lys Glu Phe Lys Ala Glu
Thr Phe Thr Phe His Ser Asp Ile Cys Thr Leu Pro Glu Lys Glu
Lys Gln Ile Lys Lys Gln Thr Ala Leu Ala Glu Leu Val Lys His
Lys Pro Lys Ala Thr Ala Glu Gln Leu Lys Thr Val Met Asp Asp
Phe Ala Gln Phe Leu Asp Thr Cys Cys Lys Ala Ala Asp Lys Asp
Thr Cys Phe Ser Thr Glu Gly Pro Asn Leu Val Thr Arg Cys Lys
Asp Ala Leu Ala
Met Arg Gly Pro Ala Val Leu Leu Thr Val Ala Leu Ala Thr Leu Leu
Ala Pro Gly Ala Gly Ala**Gly Leu Lys Pro Ser Cys Ala Lys Glu Val
Phe Thr Phe Ala Val Gly Val Asn Ile Cys Leu Gly**Phe Thr Ala Gly
Leu Lys Pro Ser Cys Ala Lys Glu Val Lys Ser Cys Lys Gly Arg Cys
Phe Thr Phe Ala Val Gly Val Asn Ile Cys Leu Gly**Phe Thr Ala Gly
Asp Lys Thr His Thr Cys Pro Pro Cys Pro Ala Pro Glu Leu Leu Gly
Gly Pro Ser Val Phe Leu Phe Pro Pro Lys Pro Lys Asp Thr Leu Met
Ile Ser Arg Thr Pro Glu Val Thr Cys Val Val Val Asp Val Ser His
Glu Asp Pro Glu Val Lys Phe Asn Trp Tyr Val Asp Gly Val Glu Val
His Asn Ala Lys Thr Lys Pro Arg Glu Glu Gln Tyr Asn Ser Thr Tyr
Arg Val Val Ser Val Leu Thr Val Leu His Gln Asp Trp Leu Asn
Gly Lys Glu Tyr Lys Cys Lys Val Ser Asn Lys Ala Leu Pro Ala
Pro Ile Glu Lys Thr Ile Ser Lys Ala Lys Gly Gln Pro Arg Glu
Pro Gln Val Tyr Thr Leu Pro Pro Ser Arg Glu Glu Met Thr Lys
Asn Gln Val Ser Leu Thr Cys Leu Val Lys Gly Phe Tyr Pro Ser
Asp Ile Ala Val Glu Trp Glu Ser Asn Gly Gln Pro Glu Asn Asn
Tyr Lys Thr Thr Pro Pro Val Leu Asp Ser Asp Gly Ser Phe Phe
Leu Tyr Ser Lys Leu Thr Val Asp Lys Ser Arg Trp Gln Gln Gly
Asn Val Phe Ser Cys Ser Val Met His Glu Ala Leu His Asn His
Tyr Thr Gln Lys Ser Leu Ser Leu Ser Pro Gly Lys
Phe Thr Phe Ala Val Gly Val Asn Ile Cys Leu Gly**Phe Thr Ala Gly
Ser Gly Ser Ala Phe Ser Arg Gly Val Phe Arg Arg Glu Ala His Lys
Gly Leu Val Leu Ile Ala Phe Ser Gln Tyr Leu Gln Lys Cys Ser Tyr
Asp Glu His Ala Lys Leu Val Gln Glu Val Thr Asp Phe Ala Lys Thr
Cys Val Ala Asp Glu Ser Ala Ala Asn Cys Asp Lys Ser Leu His
Thr Leu Phe Gly Asp Lys Leu Cys Ala Ile Pro Asn Leu Arg Glu
Asn Tyr Gly Glu Leu Ala Asp Cys Cys Thr Lys Gln Glu Pro Glu
Arg Asn Glu Cys Phe Leu Gln His Lys Asp Asp Asn Pro Ser Leu
Pro Pro Phe Glu Arg Pro Glu Ala Glu Ala Met Cys Thr Ser Phe
Lys Glu Asn Pro Thr Thr Phe Met Gly His Tyr Leu His Glu Val
Ala Arg Arg His Pro Tyr Phe Tyr Ala Pro Glu Leu Leu Tyr Tyr
Ala Glu Gln Tyr Asn Glu Ile Leu Thr Gln Cys Cys Ala Glu Ala
Asp Lys Glu Ser Cys Leu Thr Pro Lys Leu Asp Gly Val Lys Glu
Lys Ala Leu Val Ser Ser Val Arg Gln Arg Met Lys Cys Ser Ser
Met Gln Lys Phe Gly Glu Arg Ala Phe Lys Ala Trp Ala Val Ala
Arg Leu Ser Gln Thr Phe Pro Asn Ala Asp Phe Ala Glu Ile Thr
Lys Leu Ala Thr Asp Leu Thr Lys Val Asn Lys Glu Cys Cys His
Gly Asp Leu Leu Glu Cys Ala Asp Asp Arg Ala Glu Leu Ala Lys
Tyr Met Cys Glu Asn Gln Ala Thr Ile Ser Ser Lys Leu Gln Thr
Cys Cys Asp Lys Pro Leu Leu Lys Lys Ala His Cys Leu Ser Glu
Val Glu His Asp Thr Met Pro Ala Asp Leu Pro Ala Ile Ala Ala
Asp Phe Val Glu Asp Gln Glu Val Cys Lys Asn Tyr Ala Glu Ala
Lys Asp Val Phe Leu Gly Thr Phe Leu Tyr Glu Tyr Ser Arg Arg
His Pro Asp Tyr Ser Val Ser Leu Leu Leu Arg Leu Ala Lys Lys
Tyr Glu Ala Thr Leu Glu Lys Cys Cys Ala Glu Ala Asn Pro Pro
Ala Cys Tyr Gly Thr Val Leu Ala Glu Phe Gln Pro Leu Val Glu
Glu Pro Lys Asn Leu Val Lys Thr Asn Cys Asp Leu Tyr Glu Lys
Leu Gly Glu Tyr Gly Phe Gln Asn Ala Ile Leu Val Arg Tyr Thr
Gln Lys Ala Pro Gln Val Ser Thr Pro Thr Leu Val Glu Ala Ala
Arg Asn Leu Gly Arg Val Gly Thr Lys Cys Cys Thr Leu Pro Glu
Asp Gln Arg Leu Pro Cys Val Glu Asp Tyr Leu Ser Ala Ile Leu
Asn Arg Val Cys Leu Leu His Glu Lys Thr Pro Val Ser Glu His
Val Thr Lys Cys Cys Ser Gly Ser Leu Val Glu Arg Arg Pro Cys
Phe Ser Ala Leu Thr Val Asp Glu Thr Tyr Val Pro Lys Glu Phe
Lys Ala Glu Thr Phe Thr Phe His Ser Asp Ile Cys Thr Leu Pro
Glu Lys Glu Lys Gln Ile Lys Lys Gln Thr Ala Leu Ala Glu Leu
Val Lys His Lys Pro Lys Ala Thr Ala Glu Gln Leu Lys Thr Val
Met Asp Asp Phe Ala Gln Phe Leu Asp Thr Cys Cys Lys Ala Ala
Asp Lys Asp Thr Cys Phe Ser Thr Glu Gly Pro Asn Leu Val Thr
Arg Cys Lys Asp Ala Leu Ala Arg Ser Trp Ser His Pro Gln Phe
Glu Lys
Phe Thr Phe Ala Val Gly Val Asn Ile Cys Leu Gly Phe Thr Ala**Lys
Gln Gly Ser Cys Arg Lys Lys Cys Phe Asp Ala Ser Phe Arg Gly Leu
Cys Pro Ala Pro Glu Leu Leu Gly Gly Pro Ser Val Phe Leu Phe Pro
Pro Lys Pro Lys Asp Thr Leu Met Ile Ser Arg Thr Pro Glu Val Thr
Cys Val Val Val Asp Val Ser His Glu Asp Pro Glu Val Lys Phe Asn
Trp Tyr Val Asp Gly Val Glu Val His Asn Ala Lys Thr Lys Pro Arg
Glu Glu Gln Tyr Asn Ser Thr Tyr Arg Val Val Ser Val Leu Thr Val
Leu His Gln Asp Trp Leu Asn Gly Lys Glu Tyr Lys Cys Lys Val
Ser Asn Lys Ala Leu Pro Ala Pro Ile Glu Lys Thr Ile Ser Lys
Ala Lys Gly Gln Pro Arg Glu Pro Gln Val Tyr Thr Leu Pro Pro
Ser Arg Glu Glu Met Thr Lys Asn Gln Val Ser Leu Thr Cys Leu
Val Lys Gly Phe Tyr Pro Ser Asp Ile Ala Val Glu Trp Glu Ser
Asn Gly Gln Pro Glu Asn Asn Tyr Lys Thr Thr Pro Pro Val Leu
Asp Ser Asp Gly Ser Phe Phe Leu Tyr Ser Lys Leu Thr Val Asp
Lys Ser Arg Trp Gln Gln Gly Asn Val Phe Ser Cys Ser Val Met
His Glu Ala Leu His Asn His Tyr Thr Gln Lys Ser Leu Ser Leu
Ser Pro Gly Lys
Phe Thr Phe Ala Val Gly Val Asn Ile Cys Leu Gly Phe Thr Ala**Lys
Gln Gly Ser Cys Arg Lys Lys Cys Phe Asp Ala Ser Phe Arg Gly Leu
Phe Val Ser Gly Ser Ala Phe Ser Arg Gly Val Phe Arg Arg Glu Ala
His Lys Ser Glu Ile Ala His Arg Tyr Asn Asp Leu Gly Glu Gln His
Phe Lys Gly Leu Val Leu Ile Ala Phe Ser Gln Tyr Leu Gln Lys Cys
Ser Tyr Asp Glu His Ala Lys Leu Val Gln Glu Val Thr Asp Phe Ala
Lys Thr Cys Val Ala Asp Glu Ser Ala Ala Asn Cys Asp Lys Ser
Leu His Thr Leu Phe Gly Asp Lys Leu Cys Ala Ile Pro Asn Leu
Arg Glu Asn Tyr Gly Glu Leu Ala Asp Cys Cys Thr Lys Gln Glu
Pro Glu Arg Asn Glu Cys Phe Leu Gln His Lys Asp Asp Asn Pro
Ser Leu Pro Pro Phe Glu Arg Pro Glu Ala Glu Ala Met Cys Thr
Ser Phe Lys Glu Asn Pro Thr Thr Phe Met Gly His Tyr Leu His
Glu Val Ala Arg Arg His Pro Tyr Phe Tyr Ala Pro Glu Leu Leu
Tyr Tyr Ala Glu Gln Tyr Asn Glu Ile Leu Thr Gln Cys Cys Ala
Glu Ala Asp Lys Glu Ser Cys Leu Thr Pro Lys Leu Asp Gly Val
Lys Glu Lys Ala Leu Val Ser Ser Val Arg Gln Arg Met Lys Cys
Ser Ser Met Gln Lys Phe Gly Glu Arg Ala Phe Lys Ala Trp Ala
Val Ala Arg Leu Ser Gln Thr Phe Pro Asn Ala Asp Phe Ala Glu
Ile Thr Lys Leu Ala Thr Asp Leu Thr Lys Val Asn Lys Glu Cys
Cys His Gly Asp Leu Leu Glu Cys Ala Asp Asp Arg Ala Glu Leu
Ala Lys Tyr Met Cys Glu Asn Gln Ala Thr Ile Ser Ser Lys Leu
Gln Thr Cys Cys Asp Lys Pro Leu Leu Lys Lys Ala His Cys Leu
Ser Glu Val Glu His Asp Thr Met Pro Ala Asp Leu Pro Ala Ile
Ala Ala Asp Phe Val Glu Asp Gln Glu Val Cys Lys Asn Tyr Ala
Glu Ala Lys Asp Val Phe Leu Gly Thr Phe Leu Tyr Glu Tyr Ser
Arg Arg His Pro Asp Tyr Ser Val Ser Leu Leu Leu Arg Leu Ala
Lys Lys Tyr Glu Ala Thr Leu Glu Lys Cys Cys Ala Glu Ala Asn
Pro Pro Ala Cys Tyr Gly Thr Val Leu Ala Glu Phe Gln Pro Leu
Val Glu Glu Pro Lys Asn Leu Val Lys Thr Asn Cys Asp Leu Tyr
Glu Lys Leu Gly Glu Tyr Gly Phe Gln Asn Ala Ile Leu Val Arg
Tyr Thr Gln Lys Ala Pro Gln Val Ser Thr Pro Thr Leu Val Glu
Ala Ala Arg Asn Leu Gly Arg Val Gly Thr Lys Cys Cys Thr Leu
Pro Glu Asp Gln Arg Leu Pro Cys Val Glu Asp Tyr Leu Ser Ala
Ile Leu Asn Arg Val Cys Leu Leu His Glu Lys Thr Pro Val Ser
Glu His Val Thr Lys Cys Cys Ser Gly Ser Leu Val Glu Arg Arg
Pro Cys Phe Ser Ala Leu Thr Val Asp Glu Thr Tyr Val Pro Lys
Glu Phe Lys Ala Glu Thr Phe Thr Phe His Ser Asp Ile Cys Thr
Leu Pro Glu Lys Glu Lys Gln Ile Lys Lys Gln Thr Ala Leu Ala
Glu Leu Val Lys His Lys Pro Lys Ala Thr Ala Glu Gln Leu Lys
Thr Val Met Asp Asp Phe Ala Gln Phe Leu Asp Thr Cys Cys Lys
Ala Ala Asp Lys Asp Thr Cys Phe Ser Thr Glu Gly Pro Asn Leu
Val Thr Arg Cys Lys Asp Ala Leu Ala
Phe Thr Phe Ala Val Gly Val Asn Ile Cys Leu Gly
Phe Thr Ala
ct
ccttcctgcgccaaagaagtgaagtcctgcaagggcagatgcttcgagcggaccttcggcaactgtag
atgacaagactgacagtgctggctctgctggccggactgttggcctcttctagagctgctccttc
atgacaagactgacagtgctggctctgctggccggactgttggcctcttctagagctgctccttc
atgaccagactgaccgtgctggccctgctggccggcctgctggccagcagcagagccgccaagca
atgaccagactgaccgtgctggccctgctggccggcctgctggccagcagcagagccgccaagca
atgaccagactgaccgtgctggccctgctggccggcctgctggccagcagcagagccgccaagca
Asp Leu Ile Asn Asp Lys Thr His Thr Cys Pro Pro Cys Pro Ala Pro
Glu Leu Leu Gly Gly Pro Ser Val Phe Leu Phe Pro Pro Lys Pro Lys
Asp Thr Leu Met Ile Ser Arg Thr Pro Glu Val Thr Cys Val Val Val
Asp Val Ser His Glu Asp Pro Glu Val Lys Phe Asn Trp Tyr Val Asp
Gly Val Glu Val His Asn Ala Lys Thr Lys Pro Arg Glu Glu Gln Tyr
Asn Ser Thr Tyr Arg Val Val Ser Val Leu Thr Val Leu His Gln Asp
Trp Leu Asn Gly Lys Glu Tyr Lys Cys Lys Val Ser Asn Lys Ala Leu
Pro Ala Pro Ile Glu Lys Thr Ile Ser Lys Ala Lys Gly Gln Pro Arg
Glu Pro Gln Val Tyr Thr Leu Pro Pro Ser Arg Glu Glu Met Thr Lys
Asn Gln Val Ser Leu Thr Cys Leu Val Lys Gly Phe Tyr Pro Ser Asp
Ile Ala Val Glu Trp Glu Ser Asn Gly Gln Pro Glu Asn Asn Tyr Lys
Thr Thr Pro Pro Val Leu Asp Ser Asp Gly Ser Phe Phe Leu Tyr Ser
Lys Leu Thr Val Asp Lys Ser Arg Trp Gln Gln Gly Asn Val Phe Ser
Cys Ser Val Met His Glu Ala Leu His Asn His Tyr Thr Gln Lys Ser
Leu Ser Leu Ser Pro Gly Lys
Gly Gly Pro Ser Val Phe Leu Phe Pro Pro Lys Pro Lys Asp Thr Leu
Met Ile Ser Arg Thr Pro Glu Val Thr Cys Val Val Val Asp Val Ser
His Glu Asp Pro Glu Val Lys Phe Asn Trp Tyr Val Asp Gly Val Glu
Val His Asn Ala Lys Thr Lys Pro Arg Glu Glu Gln Tyr Asn Ser Thr
Tyr Arg Val Val Ser Val Leu Thr Val Leu His Gln Asp Trp Leu Asn
Gly Lys Glu Tyr Lys Cys Lys Val Ser Asn Lys Ala Leu Pro Ala Pro
Ile Glu Lys Thr Ile Ser Lys Ala Lys Gly Gln Pro Arg Glu Pro Gln
Val Tyr Thr Leu Pro Pro Ser Arg Glu Glu Met Thr Lys Asn Gln Val
Ser Leu Thr Cys Leu Val Lys Gly Phe Tyr Pro Ser Asp Ile Ala Val
Glu Trp Glu Ser Asn Gly Gln Pro Glu Asn Asn Tyr Lys Thr Thr Pro
Pro Val Leu Asp Ser Asp Gly Ser Phe Phe Leu Tyr Ser Lys Leu Thr
Val Asp Lys Ser Arg Trp Gln Gln Gly Asn Val Phe Ser Cys Ser Val
Met His Glu Ala Leu His Asn His Tyr Thr Gln Lys Ser Leu Ser Leu
Ser Pro Gly Lys
Pro Ser Cys Ala Lys Glu Val Lys Ser Cys Lys Gly Arg Cys Phe Glu
Thr His Thr Cys Pro Pro Cys Pro Ala Pro Glu Leu Leu Gly Gly Pro
Ser Val Phe Leu Phe Pro Pro Lys Pro Lys Asp Thr Leu Met Ile Ser
Arg Thr Pro Glu Val Thr Cys Val Val Val Asp Val Ser His Glu Asp
Pro Glu Val Lys Phe Asn Trp Tyr Val Asp Gly Val Glu Val His Asn
Ala Lys Thr Lys Pro Arg Glu Glu Gln Tyr Asn Ser Thr Tyr Arg Val
Val Ser Val Leu Thr Val Leu His Gln Asp Trp Leu Asn Gly Lys Glu
Tyr Lys Cys Lys Val Ser Asn Lys Ala Leu Pro Ala Pro Ile Glu Lys
Thr Ile Ser Lys Ala Lys Gly Gln Pro Arg Glu Pro Gln Val Tyr Thr
Leu Pro Pro Ser Arg Glu Glu Met Thr Lys Asn Gln Val Ser Leu Thr
Cys Leu Val Lys Gly Phe Tyr Pro Ser Asp Ile Ala Val Glu Trp Glu
Ser Asn Gly Gln Pro Glu Asn Asn Tyr Lys Thr Thr Pro Pro Val Leu
Asp Ser Asp Gly Ser Phe Phe Leu Tyr Ser Lys Leu Thr Val Asp Lys
Ser Arg Trp Gln Gln Gly Asn Val Phe Ser Cys Ser Val Met His Glu
Ala Leu His Asn His Tyr Thr Gln Lys Ser Leu Ser Leu Ser Pro Gly
Lys
Lys Thr His Thr Cys Pro Pro Cys Pro Ala Pro Glu Leu Leu Gly Gly
Pro Ser Val Phe Leu Phe Pro Pro Lys Pro Lys Asp Thr Leu Met Ile
Ser Arg Thr Pro Glu Val Thr Cys Val Val Val Asp Val Ser His Glu
Asp Pro Glu Val Lys Phe Asn Trp Tyr Val Asp Gly Val Glu Val His
Asn Ala Lys Thr Lys Pro Arg Glu Glu Gln Tyr Asn Ser Thr Tyr Arg
Val Val Ser Val Leu Thr Val Leu His Gln Asp Trp Leu Asn Gly Lys
Glu Tyr Lys Cys Lys Val Ser Asn Lys Ala Leu Pro Ala Pro Ile Glu
Lys Thr Ile Ser Lys Ala Lys Gly Gln Pro Arg Glu Pro Gln Val Tyr
Thr Leu Pro Pro Ser Arg Glu Glu Met Thr Lys Asn Gln Val Ser Leu
Thr Cys Leu Val Lys Gly Phe Tyr Pro Ser Asp Ile Ala Val Glu Trp
Glu Ser Asn Gly Gln Pro Glu Asn Asn Tyr Lys Thr Thr Pro Pro Val
Leu Asp Ser Asp Gly Ser Phe Phe Leu Tyr Ser Lys Leu Thr Val Asp
Lys Ser Arg Trp Gln Gln Gly Asn Val Phe Ser Cys Ser Val Met His
Glu Ala Leu His Asn His Tyr Thr Gln Lys Ser Leu Ser Leu Ser Pro
Gly Lys
MTRLTVLALLAGLLASSRA
APSCAKEVKSCKGRCFERTFGNCRCDA
ACVELGNCCLDYQETCIEPEHIWTCNKERCGEKRLTRSLCACSDD
CKDKGDCCINYSSVCQGEKSWVEEPCESINEPQCPAGFETPPTLL
FSLDGFRAEYLHTWGGLLPVISKLKKCGTYTKNMRPVYPTKTFPN
HYSIVTGLYPESHGIIDNKMYDPKMNASFSLKSKEKFNPEWYKGE
PIWVTAKYQGLKSGTFFWPGSDVEINGTFPDIYKMYNGSVPFEER
ILAVLQWLQLPKDERPHFYTLYLEEPDSSGHSYGPVSSEVIKALQ
RVDGMVGMLMDGLKELNLHRCLNLILISDHGMEQGSCKKYIYLNK
YLGDVKNIKVIYGPAARLRPSDVPDKYYSFNYEGIARNLSCREPN
QHFKPYLKHFLPKRLHFAKSDRIEPLTFYLDPQWQLALNPSERKY
CGSGFHGSDNVFSNMQALFVGYGPGFKHGIEADTFENIEVYNLMC
DLLNLTPAPNNGTHGSLNHLLKNPVYTPKHPKEVHPLVQCPFTRN
PRDNLGCSCNPSILPIEDFQTQFNLTVAEEKIIKHETLPYGRPRV
LQKENTICLLSQHQFMSGYSQDILMPLWTSYTVDRNDSFSTEDFS
NCLYQDFRIPLSPVHKCSFYKNNTKVSYGFLSPPQLNKNSSGIYS
EALLTTNIVPMYQSFQVIWRYFHDTLLRKYAEERNGVNVVSGPVF
DFDYDGRCDSLENLRQKRRVIRNQEILIPTHFFIVLTSCKDTSQT
PLHCENLDTLAFILPHRTDNSESCVHGKHDSSWVEELLMLHRARI
TDVEHITGLSFYQQRKEPVSDILKLKTHLPTFSQED
GGGGSDKTH
MTRLTVLALLAGLLASSRA**AKQGSCRKKCFDASFRGLENCRCD
VACKDRGDCCWDFEDTCVESTRIWMCNKFRCGETRLEASLCSCSD
DCLQRKDCCADYKSVCQGETSWLEENCDTAQQSQCPEGFDLPPVI
LFSMDGFRAEYLYTWDTLMPNINKLKTCGIHSKYMRAMYPTKTFP
NHYTIVTGLYPESHGIIDNNMYDVNLNKNESLSSKEQNNPAWWHG
QPMNLTAMYQGLKAATYFWPGSEVAINGSFPSIYMPYNGSVPFEE
RISTLLKWLDLPKAERPRFYTMYFEEPDSSGHAGGPVSARVIKAL
QVVDHAFGMLMEGLKQRNLHNCVNIILLADHGMDQTYCNKMEYMT
DYFPRINFFYMYEGPAPRIRAHNIPHDFFSENSEEIVRNLSCRKP
DQHFKPYLTPDLPKRLHYAKNVRIDKVHLFVDQQWLAVRSKSNTN
CGGGNHGYNNEFRSMEAIFLAHGPSFKEKTEVEPFENIEVYNLMC
DLLRIQPAPNNGTHGSLNHLLKVPFYEPSHAEEVSKFSVCGFANP
LPTESLDCFCPHLQNSTQLEQVNQMLNLTQEEITATVKVNLPFGR
PRVLQKNVDHCLLYHREYVSGFGKAMRMPMWSSYTVPQLGDTSPL
PPTVPDCLRADVRVPPSESQKCSFYLADKNITHGFLYPPASNRTS
DSQYDALITSNLVPMYEEFRKMWDYFHSVLLIKHATERNGVNVVS
GPIFDYNYDGHFDAPDEITKHLANTDVPIPTHYFVVLTSCKNKSH
TPENCPGWLDVLPFIIPHRPTNVESCPEGKPEALWVEERFTAHIA
RVRDVELLTGLDFYQDKVQPVSEILQLKTYLPTFETTIGGGGSDK
Pharmaceutical Compositions According to the Invention
The AAV vector according to the invention can be administered to the human or animal body by conventional methods, which require the formulation of said vectors in a pharmaceutical composition. In one embodiment, the invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition (hereinafter referred to as “pharmaceutical composition according to the invention”) comprising an AAV vector comprises a recombinant viral genome wherein said recombinant viral genome comprises an expression cassette comprising a transcriptional regulatory region operatively linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding ENPP1 or ENPP3 or a functionally equivalent variant thereof.
All the embodiments disclosed in the context of the adeno-associated viral vectors, Herpes simplex vectors, Adenoviral vectors, Alphaviral vectors and Lentiviral vectors according to the invention are also applicable to the pharmaceutical compositions according to the invention.
In some embodiments the pharmaceutical composition may include a therapeutically effective quantity of the AAV vector according to the invention and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. In some embodiments the pharmaceutical composition may include a therapeutically effective quantity of the adenoviral vector according to the invention and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
In some embodiments the pharmaceutical composition may include a therapeutically effective quantity of the lentiviral vector according to the invention and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
In some embodiments the pharmaceutical composition may include a therapeutically effective quantity of the alphaviral vector according to the invention and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
In some embodiments the pharmaceutical composition may include a therapeutically effective quantity of the Herpes simplex viral vector according to the invention and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
The term “therapeutically effective quantity” refers to the quantity of the AAV vector according to the invention calculated to produce the desired effect and will generally be determined, among other reasons, by the own features of the viral vector according to the invention and the therapeutic effect to be obtained. The quantity of the viral vector according to the invention that will be effective in the treatment of a disease can be determined by standard clinical techniques described herein or otherwise known in the art. Furthermore, in vitro tests can also be optionally used to help identify optimum dosage ranges. The precise dose to use in the formulation will depend on the administration route, and the severity of the condition, and it should be decided at the doctor's judgment and depending on each patient's circumstances.
Promoters
Vectors used in gene therapy require an expression cassette. The expression cassette consists of three important components: promoter, therapeutic gene and polyadenylation signal. The promoter is essential to control expression of the therapeutic gene. A tissue-specific promoter is a promoter that has activity in only certain cell types. Use of a tissue-specific promoter in the expression cassette can restrict unwanted transgene expression as well as facilitate persistent transgene expression. Commonly used promoters for gene therapy include cytomegalovirus immediate early (CMV-IE) promoter, Rous sarcoma virus long terminal repeat (RSV-LTR), Moloney murine leukaemia virus (MoMLV) LTR, and other retroviral LTR promoters. Eukaryotic promoters can be used for gene therapy, common examples for Eukaryotic promoters include human al-antitrypsin (hAAT) and murine RNA polymerase II (large subunit) promoters. Non Tissue specific promoters such as small nuclear RNA U1b promoter, EF1α promoter, and PGK1 promoter are also available for use in gene therapy. Tissue specific promoters such as Apo A-I, ApoE and al-antitrypsin (hAAT) enable tissue specific expression of protein of interest in gene therapy. Table I of Papadakis et al. (Promoters and Control Elements: Designing Expression Cassettes for Gene Therapy, Current Gene Therapy, 2004, 4, 89-113) lists examples of transcriptional targeting using eukaryotic promoters in gene therapy, all of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein.
Dosage and Mode of Administration
AAV titers are given as a “physical” titer in vector or viral genomes per ml (vg/ml) or (vg/kg) vector or viral genomes per kilogram dosage. QPCR of purified vector particles can be used to determine the titer. One method for performing AAV VG number titration is as follows: purified AAV vector samples are first treated with DNase to eliminate un-encapsidated AAV genome DNA or contaminating plasmid DNA from the production process. The DNase resistant particles are then subjected to heat treatment to release the genome from the capsid. The released genomes are quantitated by real-time PCR using primer/probe sets targeting specific region of the viral genome.
A viral composition can be formulated in a dosage unit to contain an amount of a viral vector that is in the range of about 1.0×109 vg/kg to about 1.0×1015 vg/kg and preferably 1.0×1012 vg/kg to 1.0×1014 vg/kg for a human patient. Preferably, the dose of virus in the formulation is 1.0×109 vg/kg, 5.0×109 vg/kg, 1.0×1010 vg/kg, 5.0×1010 vg/kg, 1.0×1011 vg/kg, 5.0×1011 vg/kg, 1.0×1012 vg/kg, 5.0×1012 vg/kg, or 1.0×1013 vg/kg, 5.0×1013 vg/kg, 1.0×1014 vg/kg, 5.0×1014 vg/kg, or 1.0×1015 vg/kg or 5.0×1015 vg/kg
In some embodiments, the dose administered to a mammal, particularly a human, in the context according to the invention varies with the particular viral vector, the composition containing the vector and the carrier therefor (as discussed above), and the mode of administration. The dose is sufficient to effect a desirable response, e.g., therapeutic or prophylactic response, within a desirable time frame. In terms of viral vector, the dose can be up to a maximum of 1×1015 vg/kg.
The vectors of the present invention permit long term gene expression, resulting in long term effects of a therapeutic protein. The phrases “long term expression”, “sustained expression” and “persistent expression” are used interchangeably. Long term expression according to the present invention means expression of a therapeutic gene and/or protein, preferably at therapeutic levels, for at least 45 days, at least 60 days, at least 90 days, at least 120 days, at least 180 days, at least 250 days, at least 360 days, at least 450 days, at least 730 days or more. Preferably, long term expression means expression for at least 90 days, at least 120 days, at least 180 days, at least 250 days, at least 360 days, at least 450 days, at least 720 days or more, more preferably, at least 360 days, at least 450 days, at least 720 days or more. This long-term expression may be achieved by repeated doses (if possible) or by a single dose
Repeated doses may be administered twice-daily, daily, twice-weekly, weekly, monthly, every two months, every three months, every four months, every six months, yearly, every two years, or more. Dosing may be continued for as long as required, for example, for at least six months, at least one year, two years, three years, four years, five years, ten years, fifteen years, twenty years, or more, up to for the lifetime of the patient to be treated.
A pharmaceutical composition according to the invention may be administered locally or systemically, intramuscularly, intravenously and parenterally. Delivery of therapeutic compositions according to the invention can be directed to central nervous system, cardiac system, and pulmonary system. A common delivery strategy is direct intramuscular injections. As a non-limiting example, Skeletal muscle has been shown to be a target tissue type that is efficiently transduced. Once transduced, the muscle cells serve as a production site for protein products that can act locally or systemically by many AAV variants.
In an embodiment, the pharmaceutical composition is administered near the tissue or organ whose cells are to be transduced. In a particular embodiment, the pharmaceutical composition according to the invention is administered locally in liver by injection into the liver parenchyma. In another embodiment, the pharmaceutical composition according to the invention is administered systemically.
As a non-limiting example, Systemic administration includes a systemic injection of the AAV vectors according to the invention, such as intramuscular (im), intravascular (ie), intra-arterial (ia), intravenous (iv), intraperitoneal (ip), or sub-cutaneous injections. Preferably, the systemic administration is via im, ip, is or iv injection. In some embodiments, the AAV vectors according to the invention are administered via intravenous injection.
In another embodiment the pharmaceutical compositions according to the invention are delivered to the liver of the subject. Administration to the liver is achieved using methods known in the art, including, but not limited to intravenous administration, intraportal administration, intrabiliary administration, intra-arterial administration, and direct injection into the liver parenchyma. In another embodiment, the pharmaceutical composition is administered intravenously.
A pharmaceutical composition according to the invention may be administered in a single dose or, in particular embodiments according to the invention, multiple doses (e.g. two, three, four, or more administrations) may be employed to achieve a therapeutic effect. Preferably, the AAV vector comprised in the pharmaceutical composition according to the invention are from different serotypes when multiple doses are required to obviate the effects of neutralizing antibodies.
Formulations
The preparations may also contain buffer salts. Alternatively, the compositions may be in powder form for constitution with a suitable vehicle (e.g. sterile pyrogen-free water) before use. When necessary, the composition may also include a local anaesthetic such as lidocaine to relieve pain at the injection site. When the composition is going to be administered by infiltration, it can be dispensed with an infiltration bottle which contains water or saline solution of pharmaceutical quality. When the composition is administered by injection, a water vial can be provided for injection or sterile saline solution, so that the ingredients can be mixed before administration. Preferably, the pharmaceutically acceptable carrier is saline solution and a detergent such as Pluronic®.
Compositions according to the invention may be formulated for delivery to animals for veterinary purposes (e.g. livestock (cattle, pigs, others)), and other non-human mammalian subjects, as well as to human subjects. The AAV vector can be formulated with a physiologically acceptable carrier for use in gene transfer and gene therapy applications. As a non-limiting example, also encompassed is the use of adjuvants in combination with or in admixture with the AAV vector according to the invention. Adjuvants contemplated include, but are not limited to, mineral salt adjuvants or mineral salt gel adjuvants, particulate adjuvants, microparticulate adjuvants, mucosal adjuvants. Adjuvants can be administered to a subject as a mixture with the AAV vector according to the invention or used in combination said AAV vector.
The terms “pharmaceutically acceptable carrier,” “pharmaceutically acceptable diluent,” “pharmaceutically acceptable excipient”, or “pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle”, used interchangeably herein, refer to a non-toxic solid, semisolid, or liquid filler, diluent, encapsulating material, or formulation auxiliary of any conventional type. A pharmaceutically acceptable carrier is essentially non-toxic to recipients at the employed dosages and concentrations and is compatible with other ingredients of the formulation. The number and the nature of the pharmaceutically acceptable carriers depend on the desired administration form. The pharmaceutically acceptable carriers are known and may be prepared by methods well known in the art (Fauli i Trillo C, “Tratado de Farmacia Galénica”. Ed. Luzán 5, S. A., Madrid, E S, 1993; Gennaro A, Ed., “Remington: The Science and Practice of Pharmacy” 20th ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, Pa., US, 2003).
As a non-limiting example, the AAV vector may be formulated for parenteral administration by injection (e.g. by bolus injection or continuous infusion). Formulations for injection may be presented in unit dosage form (e.g. in ampoules or in multi-dose containers) with an added preservative. The viral compositions may take such forms as suspensions, solutions, or emulsions in oily or aqueous vehicles, and may contain formulatory agents such as suspending, stabilizing, or dispersing agents. Liquid preparations of the AAV formulations may be prepared by conventional means with pharmaceutically acceptable additives such as suspending agents (e.g. sorbitol syrup, cellulose derivatives or hydrogenated edible fats), emulsifying agents (e.g. lecithin or acacia), non-aqueous vehicles (e.g. almond oil, oily esters, ethyl alcohol or fractionated vegetable oils), and preservatives (e.g. methyl or propyl-p-hydroxybenzoates or sorbic acid).
Formulations suitable for parenteral administration include aqueous and non-aqueous, isotonic sterile injection solutions, which can contain anti-oxidants, buffers, bacteriostats, and solutes that render the formulation isotonic with the blood of the intended recipient, and aqueous and non-aqueous sterile suspensions that can include suspending agents, solubilizers, thickening agents, stabilizers, and preservatives. The formulations can be presented in unit-dose or multi-dose sealed containers, such as ampules and vials, and can be stored in a freeze-dried (lyophilized) condition requiring only the addition of a sterile liquid excipient, for example, water, for injections, immediately prior to use. Extemporaneous injection solutions and suspensions can be prepared from sterile powders, granules, and tablets of the kind previously described.
In addition, the composition can comprise additional therapeutic or biologically-active agents. For example, therapeutic factors useful in the treatment of a particular indication can be present. Factors that control inflammation, such as ibuprofen or steroids, can be part of the composition to reduce swelling and inflammation associated with in vivo administration of the vector and physiological distress. Immune system suppressors can be administered with the composition method to reduce any immune response to the vector itself or associated with a disorder. Administration of immunosuppressive medications or immunosuppressants is the main method of deliberately induced immunosuppression, in optimal circumstances, immunosuppressive drugs are targeted only at any hyperactive component of the immune system.
Immunosuppressive drugs or immunosuppressive agents or antirejection medications are drugs that inhibit or prevent activity of the immune system. Such drugs include glucocorticoids, cytostatics, antibodies, drugs acting on immunophilins. In pharmacologic (supraphysiologic) doses, glucocorticoids, such as prednisone, dexamethasone, and hydrocortisone are used to suppress various allergic and inflammatory responses. Cytostatics, such as purine analogs, alkylating agents, such as nitrogen mustards (cyclophosphamide), nitrosoureas, platinum compounds, and others. Cyclophosphamide (Baxter's Cytoxan) is probably the most potent immunosuppressive compound. Antimetabolites, for example, folic acid analogues, such as methotrexate, purine analogues, such as azathioprine and mercaptopurine, pyrimidine analogues, such as fluorouracil, and protein synthesis inhibitors. Cytotoxic antibiotics Among these, dactinomycin is the most important. It is used in kidney transplantations. Other cytotoxic antibiotics are anthracyclines, mitomycin C, bleomycin, mithramycin. Antibodies are sometimes used as a quick and potent immunosuppressive therapy to prevent the acute rejection reactions (e.g., anti-CD20 monoclonals).
Alternatively, immune enhancers can be included in the composition to upregulate the body's natural defenses against disease.
Antibiotics, i.e., microbicides and fungicides, can be present to reduce the risk of infection associated with gene transfer procedures and other disorders.
The pharmaceutical composition can be formulated in accordance with routine procedures as a pharmaceutical composition adapted for intravenous, subcutaneous, or intramuscular administration to human beings.
Therapeutic Methods According to the Invention
As a non-limiting example, a viral vector encoding human ENPP1 or ENPP3 is administered to a mammal, resulting in delivery of DNA encoding ENPP1 or ENPP3 and expression of the protein in the mammal, thereby restoring a level of ENPP1 or ENPP3 required to reduce calcification or ossification in soft tissues.
In one aspect, the invention relates to an adeno-associated viral vector comprising a recombinant viral genome wherein said recombinant viral genome comprises an expression cassette comprising a transcriptional regulatory region operatively linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding ENPP1 or ENPP3 or a functionally equivalent variant thereof or a pharmaceutical composition comprising said viral vector for use in the treatment and/or prevention of a disease of pathological calcification or ossification.
In another aspect, the invention relates to the use of an adeno-associated viral vector comprising a recombinant viral genome wherein said recombinant viral genome comprises an expression cassette comprising a transcriptional regulatory region operatively linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding ENPP1 or ENPP3 or a functionally equivalent variant thereof or a pharmaceutical composition comprising said viral vector for the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment and/or prevention of a disease a disease of pathological calcification or ossification.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method for the treatment and/or prevention of a disease of pathological calcification or ossification in a subject in need thereof which comprises the administration to said subject of an adeno-associated viral vector comprising a recombinant viral genome wherein said recombinant viral genome comprises an expression cassette comprising a transcriptional regulatory region operatively linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding ENPP1 or ENPP3 or a functionally equivalent variant thereof or a pharmaceutical composition comprising said viral vector.
In another aspect, the disease of pathological calcification or ossification being treated by the compositions and methods of this invention, are selected from the group consisting of X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH), Chronic kidney disease (CKD), Mineral bone disorders (MBD), vascular calcification, pathological calcification of soft tissue, pathological ossification of soft tissue, Generalized arterial calcification of infants (GACI), Ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL).
In another aspect, disclosed is a method for correcting bone defects in an Enpp1 deficient individual or subject, or in an Enpp3 deficient individual or subject, or a mammal, individual or subject in need thereof, comprising administering a viral vector according to any one of claims 26-32, a viral vector comprising nucleic acid comprising (a) a liver specific promoter and (a) a nucleotide sequence encoding an ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (ENPP1) polypeptide or ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-3 (ENPP3) polypeptide, where in some embodiments the liver specific promoter is selected from the group consisting of liver promoter 1 (LP1) and hybrid liver promoter (HLP), where in some embodiments, the vector comprises a sequence encoding a polyadenylation signal. wherein in some embodiments the vector encodes a signal peptide that is an Azurocidin signal peptide, where in some embodiments the viral vector is an Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector, where in some embodiments the AAV vector has a serotype selected from the group consisting of: AAV1, AAV2, AAV3, AAV4, AAV5, AAV6, AAV7, AAV8, AAV9, and AAV-rh74, where in some embodiments the viral vector comprises a recombinant nucleic acid comprising: (a) a liver specific promoter and (a) nucleotide sequence encoding an ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (ENPP1) polypeptide or ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-3 (ENPP3) polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide or said ENPP3 polypeptide encodes a soluble ENPP1 or a soluble ENPP3 polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said nucleic acid comprises a vector or a plasmid capable of expressing said encoded polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said vector is a viral vector, where in some embodiments, the viral vector is an Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector, where in some embodiments, said nucleic acid encodes an Azurocidin signal peptide and said signal peptide is operatively associated with said ENPP1 polypeptide or said ENPP3 polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide or said ENPP3 polypeptide encodes an ENPP1 or an ENPP3 fusion protein comprising said ENPP1 polypeptide or said ENPP3 polypeptide and a heterologous protein, where in some embodiments, said ENPP1 fusion protein or an ENPP3 fusion protein encoded by said nucleotide sequence has an increased circulating half life in a mammal relative to the circulating half life of an ENPP1 polypeptide that does not comprise the heterologous protein, where in some embodiments, said heterologous protein encoded by said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 or ENPP3 fusion protein is an immunoglobulin crystallizable fragment (Fc) polypeptide or an albumin polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said ENPP1 or ENPP3 fusion protein encoded by said nucleotide sequence comprises in amino to carboxy terminal order of said fusion protein said ENPP1 or said ENPP3 polypeptide and said Fc polypeptide or said albumin polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said Fc polypeptide encoded by said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 or ENPP3 fusion protein is an IgG1 Fc polypeptide, where in some embodiments said encoded IgG1 Fc polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 34, where in some embodiments, said encoded IgG1 Fc polypeptide is a variant IgG Fc, where in some embodiments, said encoded variant Fc polypeptide comprises amino acid substitutions: M252Y/S254T/T256E, according to EU numbering, where in some embodiments said encoded variant Fc polypeptide comprises amino acids 853-1079 of SEQ ID NO:95, where in some embodiments, said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide encodes amino acids 99 to 925 of SEQ ID NO:1, where in some embodiments said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide encodes a variant said ENPP1 polypeptide, where in some embodiments said encoded variant ENPP1 polypeptide comprises a sequence encoding an amino acid substitution at position 332 relative to SEQ ID NO:1, where in some embodiments said sequence encoding said amino acid substitution at position 332 relative to SEQ ID NO:1 comprises I332T, where in some embodiments said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide comprises a sequence encoding amino acids 21-847 of SEQ ID NO: 95, where in some embodiments said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide comprises a sequence encoding amino acids 20-847 of SEQ ID NO: 95, where in some embodiments said encoded ENPP1 fusion protein comprises a sequence encoding a protein linker linking said encoded ENPP1 polypeptide and said encoded heterologous polypeptide, where in some embodiments said encoded protein linker comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:94 (GGGGS), where in some embodiments said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 fusion protein comprises amino acids 21-1079 of SEQ ID NO: 95, where in some embodiments said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 fusion protein comprises amino acids 20-1079 of SEQ ID NO: 95, in a single dose or more than a single dose, wherein the correction is displayed in said individual as an increase of one or more of the group consisting of bone length, intrabecular number, cortical thickness, trabecular thickness, trabecular bone volume, bone formation rate and osteoblast surface, where the increase is relative to said untreated Enpp1 deficient individual or subject, or said Enpp3 deficient individual or subject, or said mammal, individual or subject in need thereof, and wherein said increase is detected for example, by a noninvasive imaging technique.
In another aspect, disclosed is a method for restoring growth plate structure in an Enpp1 deficient individual or subject, or in an Enpp3 deficient individual or subject, or a mammal, individual or subject in need thereof, comprising administering a viral vector comprising nucleic acid comprising (a) a liver specific promoter and (a) a nucleotide sequence encoding an ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (ENPP1) polypeptide or ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-3 (ENPP3) polypeptide, where in some embodiments the liver specific promoter is selected from the group consisting of liver promoter 1 (LP1) and hybrid liver promoter (HLP), where in some embodiments, the vector comprises a sequence encoding a polyadenylation signal. wherein in some embodiments the vector encodes a signal peptide that is an Azurocidin signal peptide, where in some embodiments the viral vector is an Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector, where in some embodiments the AAV vector has a serotype selected from the group consisting of: AAV1, AAV2, AAV3, AAV4, AAV5, AAV6, AAV7, AAV8, AAV9, and AAV-rh74, where in some embodiments the viral vector comprises a recombinant nucleic acid comprising: (a) a liver specific promoter and (a) nucleotide sequence encoding an ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (ENPP1) polypeptide or ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-3 (ENPP3) polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide or said ENPP3 polypeptide encodes a soluble ENPP1 or a soluble ENPP3 polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said nucleic acid comprises a vector or a plasmid capable of expressing said encoded polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said vector is a viral vector, where in some embodiments, the viral vector is an Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector, where in some embodiments, said nucleic acid encodes an Azurocidin signal peptide and said signal peptide is operatively associated with said ENPP1 polypeptide or said ENPP3 polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide or said ENPP3 polypeptide encodes an ENPP1 or an ENPP3 fusion protein comprising said ENPP1 polypeptide or said ENPP3 polypeptide and a heterologous protein, where in some embodiments, said ENPP1 fusion protein or an ENPP3 fusion protein encoded by said nucleotide sequence has an increased circulating half life in a mammal relative to the circulating half life of an ENPP1 polypeptide that does not comprise the heterologous protein, where in some embodiments, said heterologous protein encoded by said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 or ENPP3 fusion protein is an immunoglobulin crystallizable fragment (Fc) polypeptide or an albumin polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said ENPP1 or ENPP3 fusion protein encoded by said nucleotide sequence comprises in amino to carboxy terminal order of said fusion protein said ENPP1 or said ENPP3 polypeptide and said Fc polypeptide or said albumin polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said Fc polypeptide encoded by said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 or ENPP3 fusion protein is an IgG1 Fc polypeptide, where in some embodiments said encoded IgG1 Fc polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 34, where in some embodiments, said encoded IgG1 Fc polypeptide is a variant IgG Fc, where in some embodiments, said encoded variant Fc polypeptide comprises amino acid substitutions: M252Y/S254T/T256E, according to EU numbering, where in some embodiments said encoded variant Fc polypeptide comprises amino acids 853-1079 of SEQ ID NO:95, where in some embodiments, said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide encodes amino acids 99 to 925 of SEQ ID NO:1, where in some embodiments said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide encodes a variant said ENPP1 polypeptide, where in some embodiments said encoded variant ENPP1 polypeptide comprises a sequence encoding an amino acid substitution at position 332 relative to SEQ ID NO:1, where in some embodiments said sequence encoding said amino acid substitution at position 332 relative to SEQ ID NO:1 comprises I332T, where in some embodiments said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide comprises a sequence encoding amino acids 21-847 of SEQ ID NO: 95, where in some embodiments said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide comprises a sequence encoding amino acids 20-847 of SEQ ID NO: 95, where in some embodiments said encoded ENPP1 fusion protein comprises a sequence encoding a protein linker linking said encoded ENPP1 polypeptide and said encoded heterologous polypeptide, where in some embodiments said encoded protein linker comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:94 (GGGGS), where in some embodiments said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 fusion protein comprises amino acids 21-1079 of SEQ ID NO: 95, where in some embodiments said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 fusion protein comprises amino acids 20-1079 of SEQ ID NO: 95, in a single dose or more than a single dose, where the restoration is relative to said untreated Enpp1 deficient individual or subject, or said Enpp3 deficient individual or subject, or said mammal, individual or subject in need thereof, and wherein said restoration is detected, for example by a noninvasive imaging technique or a dynamic histomorphometric analysis.
In another aspect, disclosed is a method for inhibiting the development of abnormal osteoblast function in an Enpp1 deficient individual or subject, or in an Enpp3 deficient individual or subject, or a mammal, individual or subject in need thereof, comprising administering a viral vector comprising nucleic acid comprising (a) a liver specific promoter and (a) a nucleotide sequence encoding an ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (ENPP1) polypeptide or ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-3 (ENPP3) polypeptide, where in some embodiments the liver specific promoter is selected from the group consisting of liver promoter 1 (LP1) and hybrid liver promoter (HLP), where in some embodiments, the vector comprises a sequence encoding a polyadenylation signal. wherein in some embodiments the vector encodes a signal peptide that is an Azurocidin signal peptide, where in some embodiments the viral vector is an Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector, where in some embodiments the AAV vector has a serotype selected from the group consisting of: AAV1, AAV2, AAV3, AAV4, AAV5, AAV6, AAV7, AAV8, AAV9, and AAV-rh74, where in some embodiments the viral vector comprises the nucleic acid of any one of claims 1-25, that is a recombinant nucleic acid comprising: (a) a liver specific promoter and (a) nucleotide sequence encoding an ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (ENPP1) polypeptide or ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-3 (ENPP3) polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide or said ENPP3 polypeptide encodes a soluble ENPP1 or a soluble ENPP3 polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said nucleic acid comprises a vector or a plasmid capable of expressing said encoded polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said vector is a viral vector, where in some embodiments, the viral vector is an Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector, where in some embodiments, said nucleic acid encodes an Azurocidin signal peptide and said signal peptide is operatively associated with said ENPP1 polypeptide or said ENPP3 polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide or said ENPP3 polypeptide encodes an ENPP1 or an ENPP3 fusion protein comprising said ENPP1 polypeptide or said ENPP3 polypeptide and a heterologous protein, where in some embodiments, said ENPP1 fusion protein or an ENPP3 fusion protein encoded by said nucleotide sequence has an increased circulating half life in a mammal relative to the circulating half life of an ENPP1 polypeptide that does not comprise the heterologous protein, where in some embodiments, said heterologous protein encoded by said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 or ENPP3 fusion protein is an immunoglobulin crystallizable fragment (Fc) polypeptide or an albumin polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said ENPP1 or ENPP3 fusion protein encoded by said nucleotide sequence comprises in amino to carboxy terminal order of said fusion protein said ENPP1 or said ENPP3 polypeptide and said Fc polypeptide or said albumin polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said Fc polypeptide encoded by said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 or ENPP3 fusion protein is an IgG1 Fc polypeptide, where in some embodiments said encoded IgG1 Fc polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 34, where in some embodiments, said encoded IgG1 Fc polypeptide is a variant IgG Fc, where in some embodiments, said encoded variant Fc polypeptide comprises amino acid substitutions: M252Y/S254T/T256E, according to EU numbering, where in some embodiments said encoded variant Fc polypeptide comprises amino acids 853-1079 of SEQ ID NO:95, where in some embodiments, said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide encodes amino acids 99 to 925 of SEQ ID NO:1, where in some embodiments said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide encodes a variant said ENPP1 polypeptide, where in some embodiments said encoded variant ENPP1 polypeptide comprises a sequence encoding an amino acid substitution at position 332 relative to SEQ ID NO:1, where in some embodiments said sequence encoding said amino acid substitution at position 332 relative to SEQ ID NO:1 comprises I332T, where in some embodiments said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide comprises a sequence encoding amino acids 21-847 of SEQ ID NO: 95, where in some embodiments said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide comprises a sequence encoding amino acids 20-847 of SEQ ID NO: 95, where in some embodiments said encoded ENPP1 fusion protein comprises a sequence encoding a protein linker linking said encoded ENPP1 polypeptide and said encoded heterologous polypeptide, where in some embodiments said encoded protein linker comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:94 (GGGGS), where in some embodiments said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 fusion protein comprises amino acids 21-1079 of SEQ ID NO: 95, where in some embodiments said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 fusion protein comprises amino acids 20-1079 of SEQ ID NO: 95, in a single dose or more than a single dose, where the inhibition is relative to said untreated Enpp1 deficient individual or subject, or said Enpp3 deficient individual or subject, or said mammal, individual or subject in need thereof, and wherein said inhibition is detected, for example by a dynamic histomorphometric analysis.
In another aspect, disclosed is a method for increasing bone formation rate in an Enpp1 deficient individual or subject, or in an Enpp3 deficient individual or subject, or a mammal, individual or subject in need thereof, comprising administering a viral vector according to any one of claims 26-32, a viral vector comprising nucleic acid comprising (a) a liver specific promoter and (a) a nucleotide sequence encoding an ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (ENPP1) polypeptide or ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-3 (ENPP3) polypeptide, where in some embodiments the liver specific promoter is selected from the group consisting of liver promoter 1 (LP1) and hybrid liver promoter (HLP), where in some embodiments, the vector comprises a sequence encoding a polyadenylation signal. wherein in some embodiments the vector encodes a signal peptide that is an Azurocidin signal peptide, where in some embodiments the viral vector is an Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector, where in some embodiments the AAV vector has a serotype selected from the group consisting of: AAV1, AAV2, AAV3, AAV4, AAV5, AAV6, AAV7, AAV8, AAV9, and AAV-rh74, where in some embodiments the viral vector comprises a recombinant nucleic acid comprising: (a) a liver specific promoter and (a) nucleotide sequence encoding an ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (ENPP1) polypeptide or ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-3 (ENPP3) polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide or said ENPP3 polypeptide encodes a soluble ENPP1 or a soluble ENPP3 polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said nucleic acid comprises a vector or a plasmid capable of expressing said encoded polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said vector is a viral vector, where in some embodiments, the viral vector is an Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector, where in some embodiments, said nucleic acid encodes an Azurocidin signal peptide and said signal peptide is operatively associated with said ENPP1 polypeptide or said ENPP3 polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide or said ENPP3 polypeptide encodes an ENPP1 or an ENPP3 fusion protein comprising said ENPP1 polypeptide or said ENPP3 polypeptide and a heterologous protein, where in some embodiments, said ENPP1 fusion protein or an ENPP3 fusion protein encoded by said nucleotide sequence has an increased circulating half life in a mammal relative to the circulating half life of an ENPP1 polypeptide that does not comprise the heterologous protein, where in some embodiments, said heterologous protein encoded by said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 or ENPP3 fusion protein is an immunoglobulin crystallizable fragment (Fc) polypeptide or an albumin polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said ENPP1 or ENPP3 fusion protein encoded by said nucleotide sequence comprises in amino to carboxy terminal order of said fusion protein said ENPP1 or said ENPP3 polypeptide and said Fc polypeptide or said albumin polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said Fc polypeptide encoded by said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 or ENPP3 fusion protein is an IgG1 Fc polypeptide, where in some embodiments said encoded IgG1 Fc polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 34, where in some embodiments, said encoded IgG1 Fc polypeptide is a variant IgG Fc, where in some embodiments, said encoded variant Fc polypeptide comprises amino acid substitutions: M252Y/S254T/T256E, according to EU numbering, where in some embodiments said encoded variant Fc polypeptide comprises amino acids 853-1079 of SEQ ID NO:95, where in some embodiments, said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide encodes amino acids 99 to 925 of SEQ ID NO:1, where in some embodiments said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide encodes a variant said ENPP1 polypeptide, where in some embodiments said encoded variant ENPP1 polypeptide comprises a sequence encoding an amino acid substitution at position 332 relative to SEQ ID NO:1, where in some embodiments said sequence encoding said amino acid substitution at position 332 relative to SEQ ID NO:1 comprises I332T, where in some embodiments said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide comprises a sequence encoding amino acids 21-847 of SEQ ID NO: 95, where in some embodiments said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide comprises a sequence encoding amino acids 20-847 of SEQ ID NO: 95, where in some embodiments said encoded ENPP1 fusion protein comprises a sequence encoding a protein linker linking said encoded ENPP1 polypeptide and said encoded heterologous polypeptide, where in some embodiments said encoded protein linker comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:94 (GGGGS), where in some embodiments said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 fusion protein comprises amino acids 21-1079 of SEQ ID NO: 95, where in some embodiments said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 fusion protein comprises amino acids 20-1079 of SEQ ID NO: 95, in a single dose or more than a single dose, where the increase is relative to said untreated Enpp1 deficient individual or subject, or said Enpp3 deficient individual or subject, or said mammal, individual or subject in need thereof, and wherein said increase is detected, for example by a dynamic histomorphometric analysis.
In another aspect, disclosed is a method for increasing osteoblast surface in an Enpp1 deficient individual or subject, or in an Enpp3 deficient individual or subject, or a mammal, individual or subject in need thereof, comprising administering a viral vector comprising nucleic acid comprising (a) a liver specific promoter and (a) a nucleotide sequence encoding an ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (ENPP1) polypeptide or ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-3 (ENPP3) polypeptide, where in some embodiments the liver specific promoter is selected from the group consisting of liver promoter 1 (LP1) and hybrid liver promoter (HLP), where in some embodiments, the vector comprises a sequence encoding a polyadenylation signal. wherein in some embodiments the vector encodes a signal peptide that is an Azurocidin signal peptide, where in some embodiments the viral vector is an Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector, where in some embodiments the AAV vector has a serotype selected from the group consisting of: AAV1, AAV2, AAV3, AAV4, AAV5, AAV6, AAV7, AAV8, AAV9, and AAV-rh74, where in some embodiments the viral vector comprises a recombinant nucleic acid comprising: (a) a liver specific promoter and (a) nucleotide sequence encoding an ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (ENPP1) polypeptide or ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-3 (ENPP3) polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide or said ENPP3 polypeptide encodes a soluble ENPP1 or a soluble ENPP3 polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said nucleic acid comprises a vector or a plasmid capable of expressing said encoded polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said vector is a viral vector, where in some embodiments, the viral vector is an Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector, where in some embodiments, said nucleic acid encodes an Azurocidin signal peptide and said signal peptide is operatively associated with said ENPP1 polypeptide or said ENPP3 polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide or said ENPP3 polypeptide encodes an ENPP1 or an ENPP3 fusion protein comprising said ENPP1 polypeptide or said ENPP3 polypeptide and a heterologous protein, where in some embodiments, said ENPP1 fusion protein or an ENPP3 fusion protein encoded by said nucleotide sequence has an increased circulating half life in a mammal relative to the circulating half life of an ENPP1 polypeptide that does not comprise the heterologous protein, where in some embodiments, said heterologous protein encoded by said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 or ENPP3 fusion protein is an immunoglobulin crystallizable fragment (Fc) polypeptide or an albumin polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said ENPP1 or ENPP3 fusion protein encoded by said nucleotide sequence comprises in amino to carboxy terminal order of said fusion protein said ENPP1 or said ENPP3 polypeptide and said Fc polypeptide or said albumin polypeptide, where in some embodiments, said Fc polypeptide encoded by said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 or ENPP3 fusion protein is an IgG1 Fc polypeptide, where in some embodiments said encoded IgG1 Fc polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 34, where in some embodiments, said encoded IgG1 Fc polypeptide is a variant IgG Fc, where in some embodiments, said encoded variant Fc polypeptide comprises amino acid substitutions: M252Y/S254T/T256E, according to EU numbering, where in some embodiments said encoded variant Fc polypeptide comprises amino acids 853-1079 of SEQ ID NO:95, where in some embodiments, said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide encodes amino acids 99 to 925 of SEQ ID NO:1, where in some embodiments said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide encodes a variant said ENPP1 polypeptide, where in some embodiments said encoded variant ENPP1 polypeptide comprises a sequence encoding an amino acid substitution at position 332 relative to SEQ ID NO:1, where in some embodiments said sequence encoding said amino acid substitution at position 332 relative to SEQ ID NO:1 comprises I332T, where in some embodiments said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide comprises a sequence encoding amino acids 21-847 of SEQ ID NO: 95, where in some embodiments said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 polypeptide comprises a sequence encoding amino acids 20-847 of SEQ ID NO: 95, where in some embodiments said encoded ENPP1 fusion protein comprises a sequence encoding a protein linker linking said encoded ENPP1 polypeptide and said encoded heterologous polypeptide, where in some embodiments said encoded protein linker comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:94 (GGGGS), where in some embodiments said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 fusion protein comprises amino acids 21-1079 of SEQ ID NO: 95, where in some embodiments said nucleotide sequence encoding said ENPP1 fusion protein comprises amino acids 20-1079 of SEQ ID NO: 95, in a single dose or more than a single dose, where the increase is relative to said untreated Enpp1 deficient individual or subject, or said Enpp3 deficient individual or subject, or said mammal, individual or subject in need thereof, and wherein said increase is detected for example, by a dynamic histomorphometric analysis.
Polynucleotides, Vectors and Plasmids According to the Invention
The invention also relates to polynucleotides which are useful for producing the viral vectors, for example, AAV vectors according to the invention. In one embodiment, the invention relates to a polynucleotide (“polynucleotide according to the invention”) comprising an expression cassette flanked by adeno-associated virus ITRs wherein said expression cassette comprises a transcriptional regulatory region operatively linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding ENPP1 or ENPP3 or a functionally equivalent variant thereof.
In one embodiment the polynucleotide according to the invention comprises a transcriptional regulatory region that comprises a promoter; preferably a constitutive promoter; more preferably a liver-specific promoter; more preferably a liver-specific promoter selected from the group consisting of albumin promoter, phosphoenol pyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) promoter and alpha 1-antitrypsin promoter; the most preferred being the human alpha 1-antitrypsin promoter. In another embodiment, the transcriptional regulatory region of the polynucleotide according to the invention further comprises an enhancer operatively linked to the promoter, preferably a liver-specific enhancer, more preferably a hepatic control region enhancer (HCR).
In another embodiment, the expression cassette of the polynucleotide according to the invention further comprises a polyadenylation signal, more preferably the SV40polyA. In another embodiment the ENPP1 encoded by the polynucleotide according to the invention is selected from the group consisting of human ENPP1 and human ENPP3.
The polynucleotide according to the invention could be incorporated into a vector such as, for example, a plasmid. Thus, in another aspect, the invention relates to a vector or plasmid comprising the polynucleotide according to the invention. In a particular embodiment, the polynucleotide according to the invention is incorporated into an adeno-associated viral vector or plasmid.
Preferably, all other structural and non-structural coding sequences necessary for the production of adeno-associated virus are not present in the viral vector since they can be provided in trans by another vector, such as a plasmid, or by stably integrating the sequences into a packaging cell line.
Methods for Obtaining AAV According to the Invention
The invention also relates to a method for obtaining the viral vectors according to the invention, as a non-limiting example, AAV vector. Said AAV vectors can be obtained by introducing the polynucleotides according to the invention into cells that express the Rep and Cap proteins constitutively or wherein the Rep and Cap coding sequences are provided in plasmids or vectors. Thus, in another aspect, the invention relates to a method for obtaining an adeno-associated viral vector comprising the steps of:
The production of recombinant AAV (rAAV) for vectorizing transgenes have been described previously (Ayuso E, et al., Curr. Gene Ther. 2010, 10:423-436; Okada T, et al., Hum. Gene Ther. 2009, 20:1013-1021; Zhang H, et al., Hum. Gene Ther. 2009, 20:922-929; and Virag T, et al., Hum. Gene Ther. 2009, 20:807-817). These protocols can be used or adapted to generate the AAV according to the invention. Any cell capable of producing adeno-associated viral vectors can be used in the present invention including mammalian and insect cells.
In one embodiment, the producer cell line is transfected transiently with the polynucleotide according to the invention (comprising the expression cassette flanked by ITRs) and with construct(s) that encodes Rep and Cap proteins and provides helper functions. In another embodiment, the cell line supplies stably the helper functions and is transfected transiently with the polynucleotide according to the invention (comprising the expression cassette flanked by ITRs) and with construct(s) that encodes Rep and Cap proteins.
In another embodiment, the cell line supplies stably the Rep and Cap proteins and the helper functions and is transiently transfected with the polynucleotide according to the invention. In another embodiment, the cell line supplies stably the Rep and Cap proteins and is transfected transiently with the polynucleotide according to the invention and a polynucleotide encoding the helper functions. In yet another embodiment, the cell line supplies stably the polynucleotide according to the invention, the Rep and Cap proteins and the helper functions. Methods of making and using these and other AAV production systems have been described in the art.
In another embodiment, the producer cell line is an insect cell line (typically Sf9 cells) that is infected with baculovirus expression vectors that provide Rep and Cap proteins. This system does not require adenovirus helper genes (Ayuso E, et al., Curr. Gene Ther. 2010, 10:423-436).
In another embodiment, the transgene delivery capacity of AAV can be increased by providing AAV ITRs of two genomes that can anneal to form head to tail concatamers. Generally, upon entry of the AAV into the host cell, the single-stranded DNA containing the transgene is converted by the host cell DNA polymerase complexes into double-stranded DNA, after which the ITRs aid in concatemer formation in the nucleus. As an alternative, the AAV may be engineered to be a self-complementary (sc) AAV, which enables the viral vector to bypass the step of second-strand synthesis upon entry into a target cell, providing an scAAV viral vector with faster and, potentially, higher (e.g. up to 100-fold) transgene expression.
For example, the AAV may be engineered to have a genome comprising two connected single-stranded DNAs that encode, respectively, a transgene unit and its complement, which can snap together following delivery into a target cell, yielding a double-stranded DNA encoding the transgene unit of interest. Self-complementary AAV have been described in the art (Carter B, U.S. Pat. No. 6,596,535, Carter B, U.S. Pat. No. 7,125,717, and Takano H, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,456,683).
Preferably, all the structural and non-structural coding sequences (Cap proteins and Rep proteins) are not present in the AAV vector since they can be provided in trans by a vector, such as a plasmid. Cap proteins have been reported to have effects on host tropism, cell, tissue, or organ specificity, receptor use, infection efficiency, and immunogenicity of AAV viruses. Accordingly, an AAV Cap for use in an rAAV may be selected taking into consideration, for example, the subject's species (e.g. human or non-human), the subject's immunological state, the subject's suitability for long or short-term treatment, or a particular therapeutic application (e.g. treatment of a particular disease or disorder, or delivery to particular cells, tissues, or organs).
In another embodiment, the Cap protein is derived from the AAV of the group consisting of AAV2, AAV5, AAV7, AAV8, AAV9, AAV10 and AAVrh10 serotypes. In another embodiment, the Cap protein is derived from AAV8.
In some embodiments, an AAV Cap for use in the method according to the invention can be generated by mutagenesis (i.e. by insertions, deletions, or substitutions) of one of the aforementioned AAV Caps or its encoding nucleic acid. In some embodiments, the AAV Cap is at least 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 98%, or 99% or more similar to one or more of the aforementioned AAV Caps.
In some embodiments, the AAV Cap is chimeric, comprising domains from two, three, four, or more of the aforementioned AAV Caps. In some embodiments, the AAV Cap is a mosaic of VP1, VP2, and VP3 monomers originating from two or three different AAV or a recombinant AAV. In some embodiments, a rAAV composition comprises more than one of the aforementioned Caps.
In some embodiments, an AAV Cap for use in a rAAV composition is engineered to contain a heterologous sequence or other modification. For example, a peptide or protein sequence that confers selective targeting or immune evasion may be engineered into a Cap protein. Alternatively, or in addition, the Cap may be chemically modified so that the surface of the rAAV is polyethylene glycolated (i.e. pegylated), which may facilitate immune evasion. The Cap protein may also be mutagenized (e.g. to remove its natural receptor binding, or to mask an immunogenic epitope).
In some embodiments, an AAV Rep protein for use in the method according to the invention can be generated by mutagenesis (i.e. by insertions, deletions, or substitutions) of one of the aforementioned AAV Reps or its encoding nucleic acid. In some embodiments, the AAV Rep is at least 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 98%, or 99% or more similar to one or more of the aforementioned AAV Reps.
In another embodiment, the AAV Rep and Cap proteins derive from an AAV serotype selected from the group consisting of AAV2, AAV5, AAV7, AAV8, AAV9, AAV10 and AAVrh10.
In some embodiments, a viral protein upon which AAV is dependent for replication for use in the method according to the invention can be generated by mutagenesis (i.e. by insertions, deletions, or substitutions) of one of the aforementioned viral proteins or its encoding nucleic acid. In some embodiments, the viral protein is at least 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 98%, or 99% or more similar to one or more of the aforementioned viral proteins.
Methods for assaying the functions of Cap proteins, Rep proteins and viral proteins upon which AAV is dependent for replication are well known in the art. The genes AAV rep, AAV cap and genes providing helper functions can be introduced into the cell by incorporating said genes into a vector such as, for example, a plasmid, and introducing said vector into the cell. The genes can be incorporated into the same plasmid or into different plasmids. In another embodiment, the AAV rep and cap genes are incorporated into one plasmid and the genes providing helper functions are incorporated into another plasmid. Examples of plasmids comprising the AAV rep and cap genes suitable for use with the methods according to the invention include the pHLP19 and pRep6cap6 vectors (Colisi P, U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,650 and Russell D, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,156,303).
The polynucleotide according to the invention and the polynucleotides comprising AAV rep and cap genes or genes providing helper functions can be introduced into the cell by using any suitable method well known in the art. Examples of transfection methods include, but are not limited to, co-precipitation with calcium phosphate, DEAE-dextran, polybrene, electroporation, microinjection, liposome-mediated fusion, lipofection, retrovirus infection and biolistic transfection. In a particular embodiment, the transfection is carried out by means of co-precipitation with calcium phosphate. When the cell lacks the expression of any of the AAV rep and cap genes and genes providing adenoviral helper functions, said genes can be introduced into the cell simultaneously with the polynucleotide according to the invention.
Alternatively, said genes can be introduced in the cell before or after the introduction of the polynucleotide according to the invention. In a particular embodiment, the cells are transfected simultaneously with three plasmids:
Alternatively, the AAV rep and cap genes and genes providing helper functions may be carried by the packaging cell, either episomally and/or integrated into the genome of the packaging cell.
The invention encompasses methods that involve maintaining the cell under conditions adequate for assembly of the AAV. Methods of culturing packaging cells and exemplary conditions which promote the release of AAV vector particles, such as the producing of a cell lysate, may be carried out as described in examples herein. Producer cells are grown for a suitable period of time in order to promote the assembly of the AAV and the release of viral vectors into the media. Generally, cells may be grown for about 24 hours, about 36 hours, about 48 hours, about 72 hours, about 4 days, about 5 days, about 6 days, about 7 days, about 8 days, about 9 days, up to about 10 days. After about 10 days (or sooner, depending on the culture conditions and the particular producer cell used), the level of production generally decreases significantly. Generally, time of culture is measured from the point of viral production. For example, in the case of AAV, viral production generally begins upon supplying helper virus function in an appropriate producer cell as described herein. Generally, cells are harvested about 48 to about 100, preferably about 48 to about 96, preferably about 72 to about 96, preferably about 68 to about 72 hours after helper virus infection (or after viral production begins).
The invention encompasses methods of purifying the adeno-associated viral vector produced by the cell. The AAV according to the invention can be obtained from both: i) the cells transfected with the polynucleotides according to the invention and ii) the culture medium of said cells after a period of time post-transfection, preferably 72 hours. Any method for the purification of the AAV from said cells or said culture medium can be used for obtaining the AAV according to the invention. In a particular embodiment, the AAV according to the invention are purified following an optimized method based on a polyethylene glycol precipitation step and two consecutive cesium chloride (CsCl) gradients. Purified AAV according to the invention can be dialyzed against PBS, filtered and stored at −80° C. Titers of viral genomes can be determined by quantitative PCR following the protocol described for the AAV2 reference standard material using linearized plasmid DNA as standard curve (Lock M, et al., Hum. Gene Ther. 2010; 21:1273-1285).
In another embodiment, the purification is further carried out by a polyethylene glycol precipitation step or a cesium chloride gradient fractionation. In some embodiments, the methods further comprise purification steps, such as treatment of the cell lysate with benzonase, purification of the cell lysate over a CsCl gradient, or purification of the cell lysate with the use of heparin sulphate chromatography (Halbert C, et al., Methods Mol. Biol. 2004; 246:201-212).
Various naturally occurring and recombinant AAV, their encoding nucleic acids, AAV Cap and Rep proteins and their sequences, as well as methods for isolating or generating, propagating, and purifying such AAV, and in particular, their capsids, suitable for use in producing AAV are known in the art.
Animal Models
The following are non-limiting animal models that can be used to test the efficacy of administering ENPP1 or ENPP3 to prevent or reduce the progression of pathological ossification or calcification.
Animal models, such as the above, are used to test for changes in soft tissue calcification and ossification upon administration of a vector encoding ENPP1 or ENPP3, according to the invention. For example, the following mouse models: (a) Npt2a−/− (b) the double mutant Npt2a−/−/Enpp1asj/asj, and (c) a C57BL/6 mouse (Jackson Labs) that has been subject to diet-induced formation of renal stones, the diet being a high calcium, low magnesium diet (such as Teklad Labs diet TD. 00042, Harlan Labs, Madison, WI).
Npt2a−/− mice show kidney stone formation when fed using normal chow starting at weaning age and persist at least until 10 weeks of age. Conversely double mutant Npt2a−/−/Enpp1asj/asj mice present twice the levels of kidney stone formation when compared with Npt2a−/− mice when fed a normal chow. Npt2a−/− mice, and Npt2a−/− Enpp1asj/asj mice are commercially obtained from Jackson laboratory, ME. Double mutant mice (Npt2a−/−/Enpp1asj/asj) are created by cross breeding Npt2a−/− mice and Enpp1asj/asj mice following standard protocols known in the art (Jackson Laboratory Recourse Manual, (2007, 1-29)). The Npt2a−/− or Npt2a−/−/Enpp1asj/asj double mutant mouse models for renal stone related disease can be used to test the efficacy of treatment according to the invention (Khan & Canales, 2011, J. Urol. 186(3):1107-13; Wu, 2015, Urolithiasis 43(Suppl 1):65-76). Oxalate stone-forming rodent models, i.e., ethylene glycol, hydroxyl purine-fed mice or rats, or intraperitoneal injection of sodium oxalate of mice and rats (Khan & Glenton, J. Urology 184:1189-1196), urate stone forming (Wu, et al., 1994, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91(2):742-6) and cystinuria mouse models (Zee, et al., 2017, Nat. Med. 23(3):288-290; Sahota, et al., 2014, Urology 84(5):1249 e9-15) can also be tested.
In certain embodiments, there is no rodent model that recapitulates the adult form of the human disease GACI, also referred to in the literature as Autosomal Recessive Hypohposphatemic Rickets type 2 (ARHR2) (Levy-Litan, et al, 2010, Am. J. Human Gen. 86(2):273-8.)
Experimental details on enzymatic activity of ENPP1, enzymatic activity of ENPP3, quantification of plasma PPi, micro-CT scans, quantification of plasma PPi uptake, are described in detail in the patent application and publications of PCT/US2016/33236—Braddock et al., WO 2014/126965—Braddock et al., WO 2017/087936—Braddock et al., and US 2015/0359858—Braddock et al., all of which are herein incorporated in their entirety.
The present invention is further illustrated by the following examples which in no way should be construed as being further limiting. The contents of all cited references (including literature references, issued patents, published patent applications, and co-pending patent applications) cited throughout this application are hereby expressly incorporated by reference.
An AAV plasmid used in this example contains an expression cassette flanked by two ITRs from AAV2. The genome of AAV2 may be pseudo typed with AAV8. An expression cassette may have the following elements in the 5′ to 3′ direction: a liver-specific enhancer hepatic control region (HCR), a liver-specific promoter human alpha anti-trypsin (hAAT), an intron, a polynucleotide comprising N terminal Azurocidin signal sequence, the NPP1 cDNA, C terminal Fc sequence, and an SV40 polyadenylation signal. The expression cassette is flanked by the 5′ ITR and the 3′ ITR from AAV2. The construct generated is shown in the schematic of
ENPP1 protein is a transmembrane protein localized to the cell surface with distinct intramembrane domains. ENPP1 protein was made soluble by omitting the transmembrane domain. Human NPP1 (NCBI accession NP_006199) was modified to express a soluble, recombinant protein by replacing its transmembrane region (e.g., residues 77-98 of ENPP1, NCBI accession NP_006199) with a suitable signal peptide sequence selected from the group consisting of (a). residues 12-30 of human NPP2 (NCBI accession NP_001 124335) or (b). residues 1-22 of ENPP7 or (c), residues 1-24 of ENPP5 or (d), human serum albumin or (e), human Azurocidin
SEQ IDS (1-4, 6-15, 17-31 and 42-56) indicate several ENPP1-Fc and ENPP3-Fc constructs, all of which can be used for Cloning of ENPP1 or ENPP3 sequences into AAV system, generating constructs for AAV infection.
The modified NPP1 sequence was cloned using standard molecular biology protocols into a plasmid. A non-coding plasmid carrying the same components of the construct, but without the NPP1 cDNA and having a multi-cloning site was used to produce null particles as a control.
Infectious AAV vector particles are generated in HEK293 cells cultured in roller bottles, by co-transfecting each roller bottle with 125 μg of vector plasmid (containing the ITRs and the expression cassette) together with 125 μg of the rep/cap plasmid (expressing capsid proteins of the AAV particle and proteins necessary for virus replication), and 150 μg of the helper plasmid expressing adenovirus helper functions by calcium phosphate co-precipitation. A total of 10 roller bottles are used for each vector preparation. Approximately three days after transfection, cells are harvested and centrifuged at 2500 g for 10 min. Cell pellet and medium are then processed separately. Cell pellet is thoroughly reconstituted in TBS (50 mM TrisHCl, 150 mM NaCl, 2 mM MgCl2, pH 8.0).
After 3 freeze/thaw cycles the lysate is centrifuged at 2500 g for 30 min. Supernatant from this centrifugation is added to the medium and vector particles are precipitated by incubation with 8% of PEG 8000 (Sigma) for 15 h and pelleted at 2500 g for 30 min. The pellet, containing vectors from cells and medium, is thoroughly reconstituted in TBS, treated with benzonase (Merck) for 30 min at 37° C. and centrifuged at 10,000 g for 10 min. The supernatant is loaded into 37.5 ml ultra-clear tubes (Beckman) containing 1.3-1.5 g/ml CsCl density step gradient and centrifuged for 17 hours at 28,000 rpm in a SW28 rotor (Beckman). Viral bands are collected using a 10 ml syringe and 18-gauge needle and transferred to a new 12.5 ml ultra-clear tube, which is filled up with 1.379 g/ml CsCl solution to generate a continuous gradient. Tubes are centrifuged at 38,000 rpm in SW40Ti rotor (Beckman) for 48 hours. Finally, the band of full particles is collected and dialyzed in PBS using 10 KDa membrane (Slide-A-Lyzer Dialysis Products, Pierce) and filtered with 0.45 μm Millipore filters. This PEG and CsCl-based purification protocol dramatically reduces empty AAV capsids and DNA and protein impurities from the viral stock thus increasing AAV purity, which ultimately results in higher transduction in vivo. The same protocol is used for generating infectious AAV particles carrying the “null” vector which does not encode any ENPP protein.
ENPP1 is produced by establishing stable transfections in either CHO or HEK293 mammalian cells. To establish stable cell lines, a nucleic acid sequence encoding ENPP1 fusion proteins (such as sequences disclosed elsewhere herein) is placed in an appropriate vector for large scale protein production. There are a variety of such vectors available from commercial sources.
For example,
Clones of single, stably transfected cells are then established and screened for high expressing clones of the desired fusion protein. Screening of the single cell clones for ENPP1 protein expression are accomplished in a high-throughput manner in 96 well plates using the synthetic enzymatic substrate pNP-TMP as previously described for ENPP1 (Saunders, et al., 2008, Mol. Cancer Ther. 7(10):3352-62; Albright, et al., 2015, Nat Commun. 6:10006).
Upon identification of high expressing clones through screening, protein production is accomplished in shaking flasks or using bio-reactors as previously described for ENPP1 (Albright, et al., 2015, Nat Commun. 6:10006). Purification of ENPP1 is accomplished using a combination of standard purification techniques known in the art.
As demonstrated in
Enzymatic activity of the ENPP1 thus produced is measured by determining the steady state hydrolysis of ATP by human NPP1 using HPLC. Briefly, enzyme reactions are started by addition of 10 nM ENPP1 to varying concentrations of ATP in the reaction buffer containing 20 mM Tris, pH 7.4, 150 mM NaCl, 4.5 nM KCl, 14 μM ZnCl2, 1 mM MgCl2 and 1 mM CaCl2). At various time points, 50 μl reaction solution is removed and quenched with an equal volume of 3M formic acid. The quenched reaction solution is loaded on a C-18 (5 μm, 250×4.6 mm) column (Higgins Analytical) equilibrated in 5 mM ammonium acetate (pH 6.0) solution and eluted with a 0% to 20% methanol gradient. Substrate and products were monitored by UV absorbance at 259 nm and quantified according to the integration of their correspondent peaks and standard curves. The ENPP1 protein is thus characterized following the protocols discussed herein and elsewhere in PCT/2014/015945—Braddock et al.; PCT/2016/033236—Braddock et al. and PCT/2016/063034—Braddock et al.
The efficacy of delivery of a vector encoding and capable of expressing NPP1 or NPP3 is tested using a mouse model such as Enpp1asj/asj mouse model, ABCC6−/− mouse model, HYP mouse model, ttw mouse model, mouse model of chronic kidney disease (CKD) or ⅚ nephrectomy rat model of CKD. As a non-limiting example, the following experiment uses Enpp1asj/asj mouse as the mouse model, Azurocidin-NPP1-Fc construct as the polynucleotide being delivered to the mouse model, and the delivery is accomplished by using AAV particles (prepared as shown in Example 1) which encodes ENPP1-Fc protein in vivo.
A person of ordinary skill would recognize the same experiment can be repeated by using alternate mouse models, alternate polynucleotide constructs comprising alternate signal sequences (NPP2, NPP5, NPP7. Albumin or Azurocidin etc.) encoding different ENPP1 fusions proteins (ENPP1-Albumin or ENPP1-Fc or ENPP1 functional equivalents or ENPP1 lacking Fc or Albumin domains etc.) or different ENPP3 fusion proteins (ENPP3-Fc or ENPP3-Albumin or ENPP3-lacking Fc or Albumin domain or ENPP3 functional equivalents etc.) disclosed in the invention for testing the efficacy of gene therapy for treating diseases of pathological calcification or ossification. The Azurocidin-NPP1-Fc construct utilized in the experiment encodes human ENPP1-Fc protein as a proof of concept and the same experiment can be repeated with an Azurocidin-NPP3-Fc construct that encodes human ENPP3-Fc.
Four sets of mice are used in this experiment, each set has at least five mice (6-8 weeks old), before injection of AAV particles, all sets of mice are tolerized by intraperitoneal injection of Titer GK1.5CD4 antibody at a concentration of 1000 μg/ml (final dose of 25-40 μg/animal) to reduce immune responses in mouse to human proteins produced by AAV constructs, a first cohort of ENPP1wt mice that serve as control group are injected with AAV particles that comprise a null vector, a second cohort of ENPP1asj/asj mice that serve as a control group are injected with AAV particles that comprise a null vector, a third cohort of ENPP1wt mice that serve as study group are injected with AAV particles comprising polynucleotide that encodes ENPP1-Fc protein, and a fourth cohort of ENPP1asj/asj that serve as test group are injected with AAV particles comprising polynucleotide that encodes ENPP1-Fc protein. Tolerization injections are repeated weekly (i.e. at Days 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 63, 70, 77, 84, 91, 98 and 105 days post AAV administration) after the AAV injection to each cohort.
The mice of the experiment are fed with either an acceleration diet ((Harlan Teklad, Rodent diet TD.00442, Madison, WI), which is enriched in phosphorus and has reduced magnesium content) or regular chow (Laboratory Autoclavable Rodent Diet 5010; PMI Nutritional International, Brentwood, MO) and after 6-8 weeks of age, all mice receive a retro-orbital injection or tail vein injection of approx. 1×1012 to 1×1015 vg/kg, preferably 1×1013 to 1×1014 vg/kg in PBS pH 7.4. The injected vectors are either empty “null” (control group) or carry the NPP1 gene (study group). Weight measurements are made daily to record any increases or decreases in body weight post AAV injection. Blood, urine, bone and tissue samples from the mice are collected and analyzed as follows. The experimental protocols are listed in detail in Albright et al., Nat Commun. 2015 Dec. 1; 6:10006, and Caballero et al., PLoS One. 2017; 12(7): e0180098, the contents of all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. At the end of the study (at 7, 28 and 112 days, all mice are euthanized following orbital exsanguination in deep anesthesia with isoflurane and vital organs are removed as described in art. (Impaired urinary osteopontin excretion in Npt2a−/− mice, Caballero et al., Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2017 Jan. 1; 312(1):F77-F83; Response of Npt2a knockout mice to dietary calcium and phosphorus, Li Y et. al., PLoS One. 2017; 12(4):e0176232).
Quantification of Plasma PPi
Animals are bled retro-orbitally using heparinized, micropipets, and the blood is dispensed into heparin-treated eppendorf tubes and placed on wet ice. The samples are spun in a 4° C. pre-cooled microcentrifuge at 4,000 r.p.m. for 5 min, and plasma is collected and diluted in one volume of 50 mM Tris-Acetate pH=8.0. The collected plasma is filtered through a 300 KDa membrane via ultracentrifugation (NanoSep 300 K, Pall Corp., Ann Arbor, MI) and frozen at −80° C. Pyrophosphate is quantitated using standard three-step enzymatic assays using uridine 5′ diphospho[14C] glucose to record the reaction product, uridine 5′ diphospho[14C]gluconic acid. (Analysis of inorganic pyrophosphate at the picomole level. Cheung C P, Suhadolnik R J, Anal Biochem. 1977 November; 83(1):61-3). Briefly, a reaction mixture (100 μl) containing 5 mM MgCl2, 90 mM KCL, 63 mM Tris-HCL (pH 7.6), 1 nmol NADP+, 2 nmol glucose 1,6-diphosphate, 400 pmol uridine 5′-diphosphoglucose, 0.02 μCi uridine 5′ diphospho[14C]glucose, 0.25 units of uridine 5′-diphosphoglucose pyrophosphorylase, 0.25 units of phosphoglucose mutase, 0.5 units of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and inorganic pyrophosphate (50-200 pmol) is incubated for 30 min at 37° C. The reaction is terminated by the addition of 200 μl of 2% charcoal well suspended in water. An aliquote of 200 μl of supernatant is then counted in scintillation solution.
In Vivo 99m PYP Imaging
If desired, bone imaging may be performed. The bone imaging agent 99mTc-pyrophosphate (Pharmalucence, Inc) is evaluated in cohorts of animals using a preclinical microSPECT/CT hybrid imaging system with dual 1 mm pinhole collimators (X-SPECT, Gamma Medica-Ideas)38. Each animal is injected intraperitoneally with 2-5 mCi of the radiolabelled tracer and imaged 1-1.5 h after injection. A CT scan (512 projections at 50 kVp, 800 uA and a magnification factor of 1.25) is acquired for anatomical co-localization with the SPECT image. The SPECT imaging is acquired with 1800 per collimator head in a counter-clockwise rotation, 32 projections, 60 s per projection with an ROR of 7.0 cm, FOV of 8.95 cm and an energy window of 140 keV±20. CT images shall be reconstructed with the FLEX X-O CT software (Gamma Medica-Ideas) using a filtered back-projection algorithm. SPECT images shall be reconstructed using the FLEX SPECT software (5 iterations, 4 subsets) and subsequently fused with the CT images and will be analyzed using the AMIRA software.
Quantification of 99mPYP Uptake
For the 99mPYP murine scans, the animals are imaged within 7 days of injection. The resulting SPECT scans is imported into NIH's ImageJ image processing software and regions of interest are drawn around each animal's head (target organ) and whole body. Percent injected activity (PIA), often referred to as ‘percent injected dose’ is calculated by comparing the ratio of counts in the head to the counts in the whole body and expressed as percent injected dose to give a measure as of the affinity with which the radiotracer is taken up by the region of interest (head). The total counts in each scan is taken as the whole-body measure of injected dose.
Blood and Urine Parameters
Biochemical analyses also may be performed using blood samples (taken by orbital exsanguination) and spot urines collected following an overnight fast at the same time of day between 10 AM and 2 PM. Following deproteinization of heparinized plasma by filtration (NanoSep 300 K, Pall Corp., Ann Arbor, MI), plasma and urinary total pyrophosphate (PPi) concentrations are determined using a fluorometric probe (AB112155, ABCAM, Cambridge, MA). Urine PPi is corrected for urine creatinine, which is measured by LC-MS/MS or by ELISA using appropriate controls to adjust for inter-assay variability.
Kidney Histology
Left kidneys are fixed in 4% formalin/PBS at 4° C. for 12 hrs and then dehydrated with increasing concentration of ethanol and xylene, followed by paraffin embedding. Mineral deposits are determined on 10 um von Kossa stained sections counterstained with 1% methyl green. Hematoxyline/eosin is used as counterstain for morphological evaluation. Histomorphometric evaluation of sagittal kidney sections that includes cortex, medulla and pelvis are performed blinded by two independent observers using an Osteomeasure System (Osteometrics, Atlanta, GA). Percent calcified area is determined by using the formula: % calc. area=100*calcified area/total area (including cortex, medulla and pelvic lumen), and is dependent on number of observed areas per section. Mineralization size is determined by using the formula: calc. size=calcified area/number of observed calcified areas per section.
For transmission electron microscopy, a 1 mm3 block of the left kidney is fixed in 2.5% glutaraldehyde and 2% paraformaldehyde in phosphate buffered saline for 2 hrs., followed by post-fixation in 1% osmium liquid for 2 hours. Dehydration will be carried out using a series of ethanol concentrations (50% to 100%). Renal tissue will be embedded in epoxy resin, and polymerization will be carried out overnight at 60° C. After preparing a thin section (50 nm), the tissues will be double stained with uranium and lead and observed using a Tecnai Biotwin (LaB6, 80 kV) (FEI, Thermo Fisher, Hillsboro, OR).
Histology, Histomorphometry, and Micro-CT
Tibiae and femora of mice are stripped of soft tissue, fixed in 70% ethanol, dehydrated, and embedded in methyl methacrylate before being sectioned and stained with toluidine blue (C. B. Ware et al., Targeted disruption of the low-affinity leukemia inhibitory factor receptor gene causes placental, skeletal, neural and metabolic defects and results in perinatal death. Development 121, 1283-1299 (1995)). Histomorphometric measurements are performed on a fixed region just below the growth plate corresponding to the primary spongiosa (A. M. Parfitt et al., Bone histomorphometry: standardization of nomenclature, symbols, and units. Report of the ASBMR Histomorphometry Nomenclature Committee. J Bone Miner Res 2, 595-610 (1987)) and analyzed by Osteomeasure software (Osteometrics, Atlanta, GA). The bones are scanned using a Scanco μCT-35 (Scanco, Brutissellen, Switzerland) and analyzed for numerous structural parameters at both the proximal tibia and distal femur just below the growth plate (trabecular bone) and at the tibial or femoral midshaft (cortical bone).
Bone Biomechanical Testing
Femurs from mice on the acceleration diet are loaded to failure with three-point bending; femurs from mice on regular chow are loaded to failure with four-point bending. All whole bone tests are conducted by loading the femur in the posterior to anterior direction, such that the anterior quadrant is subjected to tensile loads. The widths of the lower and upper supports of the four-point bending apparatus are 7 mm and 3 mm, respectively. Tests are conducted with a deflection rate of 0.05 mm/sec using a servohydraulic testing machine (Instron model 8874; Instron Corp., Norwood, MA, USA). The load and mid-span deflection is acquired directly at a sampling frequency of 200 Hz. Load-deflection curves are analyzed for stiffness, maximum load, and work to fracture. Yield is defined as a 10% reduction in the secant stiffness (load range normalized for deflection range) relative to the initial tangent stiffness. Femurs are tested at room temperature and kept moist with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Post-yield deflection, which is defined as the deflection at failure minus the deflection at yield are measured as well.
The following example provides AAV expressing ENPP1 or ENPP3 which are expected to be effective in treating vascular calcification and symptoms associated with CKD. ENPP1-Fc and ENPP3-Fc are used in the examples for illustrative purposes and similar results can be obtained by using other ENPP1 or ENPP3 fusions of the invention.
AAV virions expressing ENPP1-Fc and ENPP3-Fc protein are made according to example 1 and administered to a CKD mouse (which is a model of chronic kidney disease (CKD) (BMC Nephrology, 2013, 14:116). Six sets of mice are used for treatment with ENPP1 and ENPP3.
Control cohorts: in this experiment, a first cohort of ENPP1 wt mice that serve as control group are injected with AAV particles that comprise a null vector and, a second cohort of CKD mice that serve as a control group are injected with AAV particles that comprise a null vector.
ENPP1-treated mice cohorts: a third cohort of ENPP1wt mice are injected with AAV particles engineered to express ENPP1-Fc protein, and a fourth cohort of CKD mice are injected with AAV particles engineered to express ENPP1-Fc protein.
ENPP3-treated mice cohorts: a fifth cohort of ENPP1wt mice are injected with AAV particles engineered to express ENPP3-Fc protein, and a sixth cohort of CKD mice are injected with AAV particles engineered to express ENPP3-Fc protein.
Adenine Diet: The CKD mice are maintained on adenine diet and whereas wildtype mice are maintained on regular chow (Laboratory Autoclavable Rodent Diet 5010; PMI Nutritional International, Brentwood, MO). To provide an adenine-containing chow consumed by the CKD mice, adenine is mixed with a casein-based diet that blunted the smell and taste. Adenine is purchased from Sigma Aldrich (MO, USA) and the powdered casein-based diet is purchased from Special Diets Services (SDS, UK) (reference number 824522). Other ingredients of the diet are maize starch (39.3%), casein (20.0%), maltodextrin (14.0%), sucrose (9.2%), maize/corn oil (5%), cellulose (5%), vitamin mix (1.0%), DL-methionine (0.3%) and choline bitartrate (0.2%).
Vector Injection: After two weeks of age, all mice receive a retro-orbital injection or tail vein injection of approx. 1×1012 to 1×1015 vg/kg, preferably. 1×1013 to 1×1014 vg/kg in PBS pH 7.4 per mouse. The injected vectors are either empty “null” (control group) or carried the NPP1 or NPP3 gene (study group).
Assays: Kidney histology, PPi levels, and blood urine parameters such as FGF-23 levels, vitamin D, Parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels, serum/blood urea levels, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels, serum/blood creatine levels and plasma pyrophosphate (PPi) are analyzed for each cohort as described in Example 3. Urine is collected as spot urine samples after spontaneous urination. Serum and urine calcium, phosphorous, creatinine and urea levels are measured on a Konelab 20XTi (Thermo Scientific, Finland). Creatinine concentrations are validated with a colorimetric assay (BioChain, CA USA). PTH is measured by a mouse intact PTH ELISA kit (Immutopics, CA, USA), FGF23 levels are measured with an intact FGF23 ELISA (Kainos, Japan) and Vitamin D is measured with EIA kits (Immunodiagnostic Systems, UK). Experimental details are listed in BMC Nephrology, 2013, 14:116, and PLoS One. 2017 Jul. 13; 12(7).
Results: Untreated CKD mice generally exhibit reduced body weight and signs of declining kidney function such as decreased ratios between urine urea/serum urea and urine creatinine/serum creatinine. In contrast, CKD mice treated with AAV expressing ENPP1 or ENPP3 proteins are expected to show an increase in body weight approaching the body weight ranges of normal WT mice. Generally, serum urea levels ranging from 80-100 mg/dL is considered optimal. Urea levels of above 100 mg/dL are associated with increased morbidity along with weight loss and reduced physical activity. Treated (AAV with ENPP1 or ENPP3) CKD mice are expected to exhibit improved kidney functions manifested by a decrease in serum urea levels and increase in urine urea levels leading to higher urine urea/serum urea ratios.
Renal histology analysis of kidney tissues of CKD mice are expected to show deposition of crystalline structures in regions such as tubular lumen, micro abscesses and dilated tubules, Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining showing dilated Bowman's space, presence of atrophic tubules with protein casts (“thyroidization”) and tubular atrophy with thickening of the tubular basement membrane, presence of mild interstitial fibrosis seen through Ladewig staining and occurrence of extensive calcification of tubular structures seen through von Kossa staining. In contrast, CKD mice treated according to the invention with ENPP1 or ENPP3 are expected to show a reduction or lack of renal mineral deposits in the tubular lumen and soft tissue vasculature with histology similar to that of healthy wildtype mice.
Untreated CKD mice are expected to show a significant increase in serum inorganic phosphorous (pi), increase in PTH and FGF23 levels but a decrease in 1.25(OH)2-Vitamin D levels and lower PPi levels (˜0.5 μM) when compared with that of healthy wild type mice (Normal levels of PPi are about 2-4 μM; about 10-65 ng/L for PTH; median FGF23 level is 13 RU/ml and normal FGF23 level ranges from 5 to 210 RU/ml; normal Vitamin D levels are 20 ng mL to 50 ng mL). In contrast, treated CKD mice are expected to show elevated levels of PPi (˜4-5 μM) which are expected to be higher than the PPi levels found in untreated CKD mice (˜0.5 μM). Thus a person of ordinary skill can determine the therapeutic efficacy of vector based ENPP1 or ENPP3 in treating chronic kidney diseases by observing one or more factors like reduction (25%, or 50%, or 70%, or 90% or 100% reduction) of calcification of soft tissues in kidneys and coronary arteries visualized through histological analysis, increase in serum PPi levels, normalization of vitamin D levels, reduction in FGF23 levels to normal ranges, normalization of PTH levels from blood analysis, increased survival, improved kidney function observed by increase in urine urea and creatine along with increased weight gain.
A human patient suffering from CKD is treated by providing an intravenal injection containing approximately 5×1011-5×1015 vg/kg in 1×PBS at pH 7.4, in some embodiments approximately 1×1012-1×1015 vg/kg in 1×PBS at pH 7.4 per subject capable of delivering and expressing ENPP1 or ENPP3. Successful treatment of CKD is observed by monitoring the one or more aforesaid parameters through periodic blood and urine tests as discussed for mouse models. Instead of histological analysis which requires staining of kidney slices or arterial tissues which is not feasible to perform in living patients, instead one uses noninvasive visualization techniques commonly known in art such as CT scan, ultrasound, or intravenous pyelography to visualize the presence of calcifications and the reduction of calcifications in response to vector-based delivery and expression of ENPP1 or ENPP3 in patients suffering from CKD. Intravenous pyelography is an X-ray exam that uses a contrast medium, which functions as a dye, to help visualize the urinary tract and detect the presence of renal calcifications. Computed tomography is a noninvasive imaging technique that uses X-ray technology to depict internal structures of the body such as the urinary tract. Renal calcifications are visible on CT scans. CT scans collect X-ray images from different angles around the body to generate detailed cross-sectional images as well as three-dimensional images of the body's internal structures and organs. CT scan can also be used in arteries to detect the presence and subsequent reduction of calcification following treatment. A computer analyzes the radiation transmitted through the body to reconstruct the images of the internal structures and organs.
A medical doctor having skill in visualizing soft tissue calcification, cardiac calcification, myocardial infarction undertakes treatment of a subject afflicted with CKD by administering AAV virions expressing human ENPP1 or human ENPP3. The physician administers viral particles that deliver constructs of hENPP1 or hENPP3 and express the corresponding proteins under the control of an inducible promoter. The physician thus has the option to control the dosage (amount of hENPP1 or hENPP3 expressed) based on the rate and extent of improvement of symptoms. Successful treatment is observed by a medical professional of skill in art by observing one or more positive symptoms such as improved kidney function, improved urine creatine levels (normal creatine levels in urine for men are 40-278 mg dL and 29-226 mg/dL for women), and improved urine-urea levels (normal urea levels in urine for adults are 26-43 g 24 h), normal serum-creatine levels (normal serum creatinine range is 0.6-1.1 mg dL in women and 0.7-1.3 mg dL in men), normal vitamin D levels (20 ng ml to 50 ng/mL is considered adequate for healthy people. A level less than 12 ng mL indicates vitamin D deficiency), normal blood urea nitrogen levels (BUN level for healthy adults is 7-20 mg dL), weight gain, increase in serum PPi levels (at least about 4-5 μm), reduction in calcification (25%, or 50%, or 70%, or 90% or 100% reduction) of arterial tissues and or reduction of calcification in kidney tubules visualized by noninvasive techniques such as CT or ultrasound scans.
The following example provides AAV expressing ENPP1 or ENPP3 which are expected to be effective in treating vascular calcification and symptoms associated with GACI. ENPP1-Fc and ENPP3-Fc are used in the examples for illustrative purposes and similar results can be obtained by using other ENPP1 or ENPP3 fusions of the invention.
AAV virions expressing ENPP1-Fc and ENPP3-Fc protein are made according to example 1 and administered to a Enpp1asj/asj mouse (which is a model for Generalized Arterial Calcification of Infancy (Li, et al., 2013, Disease Models & Mech. 6(5): 1227-35). Six sets of mice are used for treatment with ENPP1 and ENPP3.
Control cohorts: in this experiment, a first cohort of ENPP1 wt mice that serve as control group are injected with AAV particles that comprise a null vector and, a second cohort of Enpp1asj/asj mice that serve as a control group are injected with AAV particles that comprise a null vector.
ENPP1-treated mice cohorts: a third cohort of ENPP1wt mice are injected with AAV particles engineered to express ENPP1-Fc protein, and a fourth cohort of Enpp1asj/asj mice are injected with AAV particles engineered to express ENPP1-Fc protein.
ENPP3-treated mice cohorts: a fifth cohort of ENPP1wt mice are injected with AAV particles engineered to express ENPP3-Fc protein, and a sixth cohort of Enpp1asj/asj mice are injected with AAV particles engineered to express ENPP3-Fc protein. The wildtype mice are maintained on regular chow diet and the Enpp1asj/asj mice are fed high phosphate Teklad diet.
Vector Injection: After two weeks of age, all mice receive a retro-orbital injection or tail vein injection of approx. 1×1012 to 1×1015 vg/kg, preferably 1×1013 to 1×1014 vg/kg in PBS pH 7.4 per mouse. The injected vectors are either empty “null” (control group) or carried the NPP1 or NPP3 gene (study group).
Assay: Kidney histology, PPi levels, and blood urine parameters such as FGF-23 levels, vitamin D, Parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels, serum/blood urea levels, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels, serum/blood creatine levels and plasma pyrophosphate (PPi) are analyzed for each cohort as described in Example 3 and 4.
Results: Untreated Enpp1asj/asj mice generally exhibit reduced body weight and increased mortality. In contrast, Enpp1asj/asj mice treated with AAV expressing ENPP1 proteins or ENPP3 proteins are expected to show an increase in body weight approaching the body weight ranges of normal WT mice.
Enpp1asj/asj mice treated with null vector are expected to display calcifications in their hearts, aortas and coronary arteries, and histologic evidence of myocardial infarctions in the free wall of right ventricle, calcifications of coronary arteries, heart, ascending and descending aorta, myocardial cell necrosis, and myocardial fibrosis in the myocardial tissue adjacent to regions of coronary artery calcification. In contrast, Enpp1asj/asj animals treated with AAV expressing ENPP1-Fc or ENPP3-Fc are expected to display an absence of cardiac, arterial, or aortic calcification on histology or post-mortem micro-CT. Enpp1asj/asj mice treated with null vector also show calcifications centered in the renal medulla along with heavy, extensive calcifications, centered in the outer medulla, with extension into the renal cortex. In contrast, Enpp1asj/asj mice treated with according to the invention with ENPP1 or ENPP3 are expected to show a reduction or lack of renal mineral deposits in the tubular lumen and soft tissue vasculature with histology similar to that of healthy wildtype mice.
In addition to survival, daily animal weights, and terminal histology, treatment response is assessed via post-mortem high-resolution micro-CT scans to image vascular calcifications, plasma PPi concentrations, and 99mTc PPi (99mPYP) uptake. None of the WT or treated (vector expressing ENPP1 or ENPP3) Enpp1asj/asj are expected to possess any vascular calcifications via micro-CT, in contrast to the dramatic calcifications are expected in the aortas, coronary arteries, and hearts of the untreated (null vector) Enpp1asj/asj cohort. In addition, serum PPi concentrations of treated (vector expressing ENPP1 or ENPP3) Enpp1asj/asj animals (5.2 μM) are expected to be elevated to WT levels (4.4 μM) and significantly above untreated enpp1asj/asj levels (0.5 μM).
99mPYP is an imaging agent typically employed in cardiac imaging and bone remodeling. It is sensitive to areas of unusually high-bone rebuilding activity since it localizes to the surface of hydroxyapatite and then may be taken up by osteoclasts. Weekly serial imaging of untreated Enpp1asj/asj animals are expected to show greater uptake of 99mPYP in the heads compared with that of treated Enpp1asj/asj animals. Measurements are made on days 30-35 and at days 50-65 post administration of viral particles containing null vector or vector expressing ENPP1. Comparison of these experimental groups are expected to show that ENPP1-Fc or ENPP3-Fc treatment returned 99mPYP uptake in GACI mice to WT levels suggesting that ENPP1-Fc or ENPP3-Fc treatment is able to abrogate unregulated tissue, vibrissae and skull mineralization in Enpp1asj/asj mice by raising the extracellular PPi concentrations. These observations are expected to show that the Enpp1asj/asj mice dosed viral particles containing vector expressing ENPP1-Fc or ENPP3-Fc are free of vascular calcifications and have normal plasma PPi concentrations.
Untreated Enpp1asj/asj mice are also expected to show a significant increase in serum inorganic phosphorous (pi), increase in PTH and FGF23 levels but a decrease in 1.25(OH)2— Vitamin D levels and lower PPi levels (˜0.5 μM) when compared with that of healthy wild type mice (Normal levels of PP are about 2-4 μM; about 10-65 ng/L for PTH; median FGF23 level is 13 RU/ml and normal FGF23 level ranges from 5 to 210 RU/ml; normal Vitamin D levels are 20 ng mL to 50 ng mL). In contrast, treated Enpp1asj/asj mice are expected to show elevated levels of PPi (˜4-5 μM) which are expected to be higher than the PPi levels found in untreated CKD mice (˜0.5 μM). Thus a person of ordinary skill can determine the therapeutic efficacy of vector based ENPP1 or ENPP3 in treating GACI by observing one or more factors like reduction (25%, or 50%, or 70%, or 90% or 100% reduction) of calcification of soft tissues in kidneys and coronary arteries visualized through histological analysis, increase in serum PPi levels, normalization of vitamin D levels, reduction in FGF23 levels to normal ranges and normalization of PTH levels from blood analysis, increased survival, improved kidney function observed by increase in urine urea and creatine along with increased weight gain.
Treatment of Human Subjects
A human patient suffering from GACI is treated by providing an injection containing approximately. 5×1011-5×1015 vg/kg in 1×PBS at pH 7.4, in some embodiments approximately 1×1012-1×1015 vg/kg in 1×PBS at pH 7.4 per subject capable of delivering and expressing hENPP1 or hENPP3. Successful treatment of GACI is observed by monitoring one or more aforesaid parameters through periodic blood and urine tests as discussed for mouse models. Instead of histological analysis which requires staining of kidney slices or arterial tissues which is not feasible to perform in living patients, one instead uses noninvasive visualization techniques as discussed in example 4.
A medical doctor having skill in visualizing soft tissue calcification, cardiac calcification, myocardial infarction undertakes treatment of a subject afflicted with GACI by administering AAV virions expressing hENPP1 or hENPP3. The physician administers viral particles that deliver a construct encoding hENPP1 or hENPP3, the vector expresses the ENPP protein under the control of an inducible promoter. The physician can control the dosage (amount of hENPP1 or hENPP3 expressed) based on the rate and extent of improvement of symptoms. A successful treatment is observed by a medical professional of skill in art by observing one or more positive symptoms such as normal vitamin D levels (20 ng/ml to 50 ng mL is considered adequate for healthy people. A level less than 12 ng mL indicates vitamin D deficiency), normal blood urea nitrogen levels (BUN level for healthy adults is 7-20 mg dL), weight gain, increase in serum PPi levels (at least about 4-5 μm), reduction in calcification (25%, or 50%, or 70%, or 90% or 100% reduction) of arterial tissues and/or reduction of calcification in kidney tubules visualized by noninvasive techniques such as CT or ultrasound scans.
The following example provides AAV expressing ENPP1 or ENPP3 which are expected to be effective in treating vascular calcification and symptoms associated with PXE. ENPP1-Fc and ENPP3-Fc are used in the examples for illustrative purposes and similar results can be obtained by using other ENPP1 or ENPP3 fusions of the invention.
AAV virions expressing ENPP1-Fc protein and ENPP3-Fc protein are made according to example 1 and administered to a ABCC6−/− mouse (which is a model for Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum; Jiang, et al., 2007, J. Invest. Derm. 127(6): 1392-4102). Six sets of mice are used for treatment with ENPP1 and ENPP3.
Control cohorts: in this experiment, a first cohort of ENPP1 wt mice that serve as control group are injected with AAV particles that comprise a null vector and, a second cohort of ABCC6−/− mice that serve as a control group are injected with AAV particles that comprise a null vector.
ENPP1-treated mice cohorts: a third cohort of ENPP1wt mice are injected with AAV particles engineered to express ENPP1-Fc protein, and a fourth cohort of ABCC6−/− mice are injected with AAV particles engineered to express ENPP1-Fc protein.
ENPP3-treated mice cohorts: a fifth cohort of ENPP1wt mice are injected with AAV particles engineered to express ENPP3-Fc protein, and a sixth cohort of ABCC6−/− mice are injected with AAV particles engineered to express ENPP3-Fc protein. The wildtype mice are maintained on regular chow diet and the ABCC6−/− mice are fed high phosphate Teklad diet.
Vector Injection: After two weeks of age, all mice receive a retro-orbital injection or tail vein injection of approx. 1×1012 to 1×1015 vg/kg, preferably 1×1013 to 1×1014 vg/kg in PBS pH 7.4 per mouse. The injected vectors are either empty “null” (control group) or carried the NPP1 or NPP3 gene (study group).
Assays: Kidney histology, PPi levels, and blood urine parameters such as FGF-23 levels, vitamin D, Parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels, serum/blood urea levels, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels, serum/blood creatine levels and plasma pyrophosphate (PPi) are analyzed for each cohort as described in Example 3 and 4.
Results: Untreated ABCC6−/− mice generally exhibit reduced body weight and increased mortality. In contrast, ABCC6−/− mice treated with AAV expressing ENPP1 or ENPP3 proteins are expected to show an increase in body weight approaching the body weight ranges of normal WT mice. ABCC6−/− mice treated with null vector are expected to display calcifications in their hearts, aortas and coronary arteries, and histologic evidence of myocardial infarctions in the free wall of right ventricle, calcifications of coronary arteries, heart, ascending and descending aorta, myocardial cell necrosis, and myocardial fibrosis in the myocardial tissue adjacent to regions of coronary artery calcification. In contrast, ABCC6−/− animals treated with vector expressing ENPP1-Fc or ENPP3-Fc are expected to display an absence of cardiac, arterial, or aortic calcification on histology or post-mortem micro-CT. Enpp1asj/asj mice treated with null vector also show calcifications centered in the renal medulla along with heavy, extensive calcifications, centered in the outer medulla, with extension into the renal cortex. In contrast, Enpp1asj/asj mice treated with viral vector-based expression of ENPP1 or ENPP3 are expected to show a reduction or a lack of renal mineral deposits in the tubular lumen and soft tissue vasculature with histology similar to that of healthy wildtype mice.
In addition to survival, daily animal weights, and terminal histology, treatment response is assessed via post-mortem high-resolution micro-CT scans to image vascular calcifications, and plasma PPi concentrations. None of the WT or treated (vector expressing ENPP1) ABCC6−/− are expected to possess any vascular calcifications via micro-CT, in contrast to the dramatic calcifications that are expected to be seen in the aortas, coronary arteries, and hearts of the untreated (null vector) ABCC6−/− cohort. In addition, serum PPi concentrations of treated (vector expressing ENPP1) ABCC6−/− animals (5.2 μM) are expected to be elevated to WT levels (4.4 μM) and significantly above untreated ABCC6−/− levels (0.5 μM).
Untreated ABCC6−/− mice are also expected to show a significant increase in serum inorganic phosphorous (pi), increase in PTH and FGF23 levels but a decrease in 1.25(OH)2-Vitamin D levels and lower PPi levels (˜0.5 μM) when compared with that of healthy wild type mice (Normal levels of PP are about 2-4 μM; about 10-65 ng/L for PTH; median FGF23 level is 13 RU/ml and normal FGF23 level ranges from 5 to 210 RU/ml; normal Vitamin D levels are 20 ng mL to 50 ng mL). In contrast, treated ABCC6−/− mice are expected to show elevated levels of PPi (˜4-5 μM) which are expected to be higher than the PPi levels found in untreated ABCC6−/− mice (˜0.5 μM). Thus a person of ordinary skill can determine the therapeutic efficacy of vector based ENPP1 or ENPP3 in treating PXE by observing one or more factors like reduction (25%, or 50%, or 70%, or 90% or 100% reduction) of calcification of soft tissues in kidneys and coronary arteries visualized through histological analysis, increase in serum PPi levels, normalization of vitamin D levels, reduction in FGF23 levels to normal ranges and normalization of PTH levels from blood analysis, increased survival and improved kidney function observed by increase in urine urea and creatine along with increased weight gain.
Treatment of Human Subjects:
A human patient suffering from PXE is treated by providing an intravenal injection containing approximately. 5×1011-5×1015 vg/kg in 1×PBS at pH 7.4, in some embodiments approximately 1×1012-1×1015 vg/kg in 1×PBS at pH 7.4 per subject capable of delivering and expressing ENPP1 or ENPP3. Successful treatment of PXE is observed by monitoring one or more aforesaid parameters through periodic blood and urine tests as discussed for mouse models. Instead of histological analysis which requires staining of kidney slices or arterial tissues which is not feasible to perform in living patients, one instead uses noninvasive visualization techniques as discussed in example 4.
A medical doctor having skill in visualizing soft tissue calcification, cardiac calcification, myocardial infarction can undertake the treatment of a subject afflicted with PXE by administering AAV virions expressing ENPP1 or ENPP3. The physician can also use viral particles that deliver constructs of ENPP1 or ENPP3 and express the corresponding proteins under the control of an inducible promoter. The physician thus has the option to control the dosage (amount of ENPP1 or ENPP3 expressed) based on the rate and extent of improvement of symptoms. A successful treatment and suitable dosage is readily inferred by a medical professional of skill in art by observing one or more positive symptoms such as normal vitamin D levels (20 ng/ml to 50 ng mL is considered adequate for healthy people. A level less than 12 ng mL indicates vitamin D deficiency), disappearance or reduction of size and or number of angioid streaks, reduction or lack of retinal bleeding, normal blood urea nitrogen levels (BUN level for healthy adults is 7-20 mg dL), weight gain, increase in serum PPi levels (at least about 4-5 μm), reduction in calcification (25%, or 50%, or 70%, or 90% or 100% reduction) of arterial tissues, connective tissues and or reduction of calcification in kidney tubules visualized by noninvasive techniques such as CT or ultrasound scans.
The following example provides AAV expressing human ENPP1 or ENPP3 which are expected to be effective in treating vascular calcification and symptoms associated with PXE. ENPP1-Fc and ENPP3-Fc fusions are used in the examples for illustrative purposes and similar results can be obtained by using other ENPP1 or ENPP3 fusions of the invention.
AAV virions expressing ENPP1-Fc protein or ENPP3-Fc protein are made according to example 1, and administered to a Tip toe walking (ttw) mouse (which is a model for Ossification of the Posterior Longitudinal Ligament; (Okawa, et al, 1998, Nature Genetics 19(3):271-3; Nakamura, et al, 1999, Human Genetics 104(6):492-7). Six sets of mice are used for treatment with ENPP1 and ENPP3.
Control cohorts: in this experiment, a first cohort of ENPP1 wt mice that serve as control group are injected with AAV particles that comprise a null vector and, a second cohort of ttw mice that serve as a control group are injected with AAV particles that comprise a null vector.
ENPP1-treated mice cohorts: a third cohort of ENPP1wt mice are injected with AAV particles engineered to express ENPP1-Fc protein, and a fourth cohort of ttw mice are injected with AAV particles engineered to express ENPP1-Fc protein.
ENPP3-treated mice cohorts: a fifth cohort of ENPP1wt mice are injected with AAV particles engineered to express ENPP3-Fc protein, and a sixth cohort of ttw mice are injected with AAV particles engineered to express ENPP3-Fc protein. The wildtype mice are maintained on regular chow diet and the ttw mice are fed high phosphate Teklad diet.
Vector injection: After two weeks of age, all mice receive a retro-orbital injection or tail vein injection of approx. 1×1012 to 1×1015 vg/kg, preferably 1×1013 to 1×1014 vg/kg in PBS pH 7.4 per mouse. The injected vectors are either empty “null” (control group) or carried the NPP1 or NPP3 gene (study group).
Assays: Kidney histology, PPi levels, and blood urine parameters such as FGF-23 levels, vitamin D, Parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels, serum/blood urea levels, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels, serum/blood creatine levels and plasma pyrophosphate (PPi) are analyzed for each cohort as described in Example 3 and 4.
Results: Untreated ttw mice generally exhibit reduced body weight, thickening of spine, lethargy and increased mortality. In contrast, ttw mice treated with AAV expressing ENPP1 proteins or ENPP3 proteins are expected to show an increase in body weight approaching the body weight ranges of normal WT mice, normal alertness, and reduction in spine thickness approaching the thickness of wild type mouse. ttw mice treated with null vector are expected to display calcifications in their hearts, aortas and coronary arteries, and histologic evidence of myocardial infarctions in the free wall of right ventricle, calcifications of coronary arteries, heart, ascending and descending aorta, myocardial cell necrosis, and myocardial fibrosis in the myocardial tissue adjacent to regions of coronary artery calcification. In contrast, ttw animals treated with vector expressing ENPP1-Fc or ENPP3-Fc are expected to display an absence of cardiac, arterial, or aortic calcification on histology or post-mortem micro-CT. ttw mice treated with null vector also show calcifications centered in the renal medulla along with heavy, extensive calcifications, centered in the outer medulla, with extension into the renal cortex. In contrast, ttw mice treated with viral vector-based expression of ENPP1 or ENPP3 are expected to show a reduction or lack of renal mineral deposits in the tubular lumen, reduction of calcification of spine, and soft tissue vasculature with histology similar to that of healthy wildtype mice.
In addition to survival, daily animal weights, and terminal histology, treatment response is assessed via post-mortem high-resolution micro-CT scans to image vascular calcifications, and plasma PPi concentrations. None of the WT or treated (vector expressing ENPP1) ttw are expected to possess any vascular calcifications via micro-CT, in contrast to the dramatic calcifications that are expected to be seen in the aortas, coronary arteries, and hearts of the untreated (null vector) ttw cohort. In addition, serum PPi concentrations of treated (vector expressing ENPP1) ttw− animals (5.2 μM) are expected to be elevated to WT levels (4.4 μM) and significantly above untreated ttw levels (0.5 μM).
Untreated ttw mice are also expected to show a significant increase in serum inorganic phosphorous (pi), increase in PTH and FGF23 levels but a decrease in 1.25(OH)2-Vitamin D levels and lower PPi levels (˜0.5 μM) when compared with that of healthy wild type mice (Normal levels of PP are about 2-4 μM; about 10-65 ng/L for PTH; median FGF23 level is 13 RU/ml and normal FGF23 level ranges from 5 to 210 RU/ml; normal Vitamin D levels are 20 ng mL to 50 ng mL). In contrast, treated ttw mice are expected to show elevated levels of PPi (˜4-5 μM) which are expected to be higher than the PPi levels found in untreated ttw mice (˜0.5 μM). Thus a person of ordinary skill can determine the therapeutic efficacy of vector based ENPP1 or ENPP3 in treating OPLL by observing one or more factors like reduction (25%, or 50%, or 70%, or 90% or 100% reduction) of calcification of soft tissues in kidneys and coronary arteries visualized through histological analysis, increase in serum PPi levels, normalization of vitamin D levels, reduction in FGF23 levels to normal ranges and normalization of PTH levels from blood analysis, increased survival and improved kidney function observed by increase in urine urea and creatine along with increased weight gain.
Treatment of Human Subjects:
A human patient suffering from OPLL is treated by providing an intravenal injection containing approximately. 5×1011-5×1015 vg/kg in 1×PBS at pH 7.4, in some embodiments approximately 1×1012-1×1015 vg/kg in 1×PBS at pH 7.4 per subject capable of delivering and expressing hENPP1 or hENPP3. Successful treatment of OPLL is observed by monitoring one or more aforesaid parameters through periodic blood and urine tests as discussed for mouse models. Instead of histological analysis which requires staining of kidney slices or arterial tissues which is not feasible to perform in living patients, one instead uses noninvasive visualization techniques as discussed in example 4.
A medical doctor having skill in visualizing soft tissue calcification, cardiac calcification, myocardial infarction can undertake the treatment of a subject afflicted with OPLL upon administration of AAV virions expressing hENPP1 or hENPP3. In some embodiments, the physician uses viral particles that deliver constructs of hENPP1 or hENPP3 and express the corresponding proteins under the control of an inducible promoter. The physician thus has the option to control the dosage (amount of hENPP1 or hENPP3 expressed) based on the rate and extent of improvement of symptoms. A successful treatment and suitable dosage is readily inferred by a medical professional of skill in art by observing one or more positive symptoms such as normal vitamin D levels (20 ng ml to 50 ng/mL is considered adequate for healthy people. A level less than 12 ng mL indicates vitamin D deficiency), normal blood urea nitrogen levels (BUN level for healthy adults is 7-20 mg dL), weight gain, increase in serum PPi levels (at least about 4-5 μm), reduction in calcification (25%, or 50%, or 70%, or 90% or 100% reduction) of arterial tissues, reduction in thickness of spine and pain sensation, reduction of spinal stenosis visualized by noninvasive techniques such as CT, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or ultrasound scans.
The following example provides AAV expressing ENPP1 or ENPP3 which are expected to be effective in treating symptoms associated with Osteopenia and/or Osteomalacia. ENPP1-Fc and ENPP3-Fc are used in the examples for illustrative purposes and similar results can be obtained by using other ENPP1 or ENPP3 fusions of the invention.
AAV virions expressing ENPP1-Fc protein or ENPP3-Fc protein are made according to example 1 and administered to a Tip toe walking (ttw) mouse (which is a mouse model for osteoarthritis (Bertrand, et al, 2012, Annals Rheum. Diseases 71(7): 1249-53)). Six sets of mice are used for treatment with ENPP1 and ENPP3. Similar experiment is repeated using ENPP1 knockout mice (ENPP1KO) which also serves as a model for osteopenia. (Mackenzie, et al, 2012, PloS one 7(2):e32177) in addition to GACI.
Control cohorts: in this experiment, a first cohort of ENPP1 wt mice that serve as control group are injected with AAV particles that comprise a null vector and, a second cohort of ttw (or ENPP1KO) mice that serve as a control group are injected with AAV particles that comprise a null vector.
ENPP1-treated mice cohorts: a third cohort of ENPP1wt mice are injected with AAV particles engineered to express ENPP1-Fc protein, and a fourth cohort of ttw mice (or ENPP1KO) are injected with AAV particles engineered to express ENPP1-Fc protein.
ENPP3-treated mice cohorts: a fifth cohort of ENPP1wt mice are injected with AAV particles engineered to express ENPP3-Fc protein, and a sixth cohort of ttw (or ENPP1KO) mice are injected with AAV particles engineered to express ENPP3-Fc protein. The wildtype mice are maintained on regular chow diet and the ttw mice (or ENPP1KO) are fed high phosphate Teklad diet.
Vector injection: After two weeks of age, all mice receive a retro-orbital injection or tail vein injection of approx. 1×1012 to 1×1015 vg/kg, preferably. 1×1013 to 1×1014 vg/kg in PBS pH 7.4 per mouse. The injected vectors are either empty “null” (control group) or carried the NPP1 or NPP3 gene (study group).
Assays: Kidney histology, PPi levels, and blood urine parameters such as FGF-23 levels, vitamin D, Parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels, serum/blood urea levels, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels, serum/blood creatine levels and plasma pyrophosphate (PPi) are analyzed for each cohort as described in Example 3 and 4.
Histology, Histomorphometry, and Micro-CT: Bone analysis is conducted following the protocols as described in Example 3.
Bone biomechanical testing: Bone analysis is conducted following the protocols as described in Example 3.
Results: Untreated ttw (or ENPP1KO) mice generally exhibit reduced body weight, lethargy, diminished cortical bone thickness and trabecular bone volume, calcification of cartilage and ligaments, reduced bone density in the long bones such as Femur and Tibia, and increased mortality compared to wild type. In contrast, ttw (or ENPP1KO) mice treated with AAV expressing ENPP1 proteins or ENPP3 proteins are expected to show an increase in body weight approaching the body weight ranges of normal WT mice, normal alertness, increases bone mineral density, improved cortical bone thickness and trabecular bone volume, increased bone strength and bone ductility. The ttw (or ENPP1KO) mice treated with null vector are expected to display calcifications in their hearts, aortas and coronary arteries, and histologic evidence of myocardial infarctions in the free wall of right ventricle, calcifications of coronary arteries, heart, ascending and descending aorta, myocardial cell necrosis, and myocardial fibrosis in the myocardial tissue adjacent to regions of coronary artery calcification. In contrast, ttw (or ENPP1KO) animals treated with vector expressing ENPP1-Fc or ENPP3-Fc are expected to display an absence of cardiac, arterial, or aortic calcification on histology or post-mortem micro-CT. The ttw (or ENPP1KO) mice treated with null vector also show calcifications centered in the renal medulla along with heavy, extensive calcifications, centered in the outer medulla, with extension into the renal cortex. In contrast, ttw (or ENPP1KO) mice treated with viral vector based expression of ENPP1 or ENPP3 are expected to show a reduction or lack of renal mineral deposits in the tubular lumen, reduction of calcification of spine, and soft tissue vasculature with histology similar to that of healthy wildtype mice.
In addition to survival, daily animal weights, and terminal histology, treatment response is assessed via post-mortem high-resolution micro-CT scans to image vascular calcifications, and plasma PPi concentrations. None of the WT or treated (vector expressing ENPP1) ttw (or ENPP1KO) are expected to possess any vascular calcifications via micro-CT, in contrast to the dramatic calcifications that are expected to be seen in the aortas, coronary arteries, and hearts of the untreated (null vector) ttw (or ENPP1KO) cohort. In addition, serum PPi concentrations of treated (vector expressing ENPP1) ttw (or ENPP1KO) animals (5.2 μM) are expected to be elevated to WT levels (4.4 μM) and significantly above untreated ttw (or ENPP1KO) levels (0.5 μM).
Untreated ttw (or ENPP1KO) mice are also expected to show a significant increase in serum inorganic phosphorous (pi), increase in PTH and FGF23 levels but a decrease in 1.25(OH)2-Vitamin D levels and lower PPi levels (˜0.5 μM) when compared with that of healthy wild type mice (Normal levels of PP are about 2-4 μM; about 10-65 ng/L for PTH; median FGF23 level is 13 RU/ml and normal FGF23 level ranges from 5 to 210 RU/ml; normal Vitamin D levels are 20 ng mL to 50 ng mL). In contrast, treated ttw (or ENPP1KO) mice are expected to show elevated levels of PPi (˜4-5 μM) which are expected to be higher than the PPi levels found in untreated ttw (or ENPP1KO) mice (˜0.5 μM). Thus a person of ordinary skill can determine the therapeutic efficacy of vector based ENPP1 or ENPP3 in treating Osteopenia or Osteomalcia or Osteoarthritis by observing one or more factors like reduction (25%, or 50%, or 70%, or 90% or 100% reduction) of calcification of soft tissues in kidneys and coronary arteries visualized through histological analysis, increase in serum PPi levels, normalization of vitamin D levels, reduction in FGF23 levels to normal ranges and normalization of PTH levels from blood analysis, improved long bone strength, increased bone density, improved corticular bone thickness and trabecular bone volume, increased survival and improved kidney function observed by increase in urine urea and creatine along with increased weight gain.
Treatment of Human Subjects:
A human patient suffering from Osteopenia or Osteomalacia or Osteoarthritis is treated by providing an intravenal injection containing approximately. 5×1011-5×1015 vg/kg in 1×PBS at pH 7.4, in some embodiments approximately 1×10121×1015 vg/kg in 1×PBS at pH 7.4 per subject capable of delivering and expressing hENPP1 or hENPP3. Successful treatment of Osteopenia or Osteomalacia or Osteoarthritis is observed by monitoring one or more aforesaid parameters through periodic bone strength, bone density blood and urine tests as discussed for mouse models. Instead of histological analysis which requires staining of kidney slices or arterial tissues which is not feasible to perform in living patients, one instead uses noninvasive visualization techniques as discussed in example 4.
Similarly, patients are subjected to periodic bone density measurements using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) or peripheral dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (pDXA) or quantitative ultrasound (QUS) or peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT). Bone density scores obtained from one of these methods provides indication of the condition and progress obtained after the treatment. A T-score of −1.0 or above is considered as normal bone density, a T-score between −1.0 and −2.5 indicates the presence of Osteopenia and whereas a T-score of −2.5 or below indicates the presence of Osteoporosis. A gradual improvement of T-score is expected in patients treated with ENPP1 or ENPP3 of the invention.
A medical doctor having skill in visualizing soft tissue calcification, cardiac calcification, bone density visualization undertakes the treatment of a subject afflicted with Osteopenia or Osteoarthritis by administration of AAV virions expressing hENPP1 or hENPP3. In some embodiments, the physician uses viral particles that deliver constructs of hENPP1 or hENPP3 and express the corresponding proteins under the control of an inducible promoter. The physician thus has the option to control the dosage (amount of hENPP1 or hENPP3 expressed) based on the rate and extent of improvement of symptoms. A successful treatment and suitable dosage is readily inferred by a medical professional of skill in art by observing one or more positive symptoms such as normal vitamin D levels (20 ng/ml to 50 ng mL is considered adequate for healthy people. A level less than 12 ng mL indicates vitamin D deficiency), normal bone density (T score of ≥−1) normal blood urea nitrogen levels (BUN level for healthy adults is 7-20 mg dL), weight gain, increase in serum PPi levels (at least about 4-5 μm), reduction in calcification (25%, or 50%, or 70%, or 90% or 100% reduction) of arterial tissues, improved bone strength visualized by noninvasive techniques such as CT, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or ultrasound scans.
The following example provides AAV expressing ENPP1 or ENPP3 which are expected to be effective in treating symptoms associated with ADHR-2 or ARHR-2 or XLH. ENPP1-Fc and ENPP3-Fc are used in the examples for illustrative purposes and similar results can be obtained by using other ENPP1 or ENPP3 fusions of the invention.
AAV virions expressing ENPP1-Fc protein or ENPP3-Fc protein are made according to example 1 and administered to a HYP mouse model of X-linked hypophosphatasia (XLH); (Liang, et al., 2009, Calcif. Tissue Int. 85(3):235-46). Six sets of mice are used for treatment with ENPP1 and ENPP3. Similar experiment is repeated using ENPP1 age stiffened joint mouse (ENPP1asj/asj) which also serves as a model for ARHR-2. (Am J Hum Genet. 2010 Feb. 12; 86(2): 273-278) in addition to GACI.
Control cohorts: In this experiment, a first cohort of ENPP1 wt mice that serve as control group are injected with AAV particles that comprise a null vector and, a second cohort of HYP (or ENPP1asj/asj) mice that serve as a control group are injected with AAV particles that comprise a null vector.
ENPP1-treated mice cohorts: a third cohort of ENPP1wt mice are injected with AAV particles engineered to express ENPP1-Fc protein, and a fourth cohort of HYP (or ENPP1asj/asj) mice are injected with AAV particles engineered to express ENPP1-Fc protein.
ENPP3-treated mice cohorts: a fifth cohort of ENPP1wt mice are injected with AAV particles engineered to express ENPP3-Fc protein, and a sixth cohort of HYP (or ENPP1asj/asj) mice are injected with AAV particles engineered to express ENPP3-Fc protein. The wildtype mice are maintained on regular chow diet and the HYP (or ENPP1asj/asj) mice are fed high phosphate Teklad diet.
Vector injection: After two weeks of age, all mice receive a retro-orbital injection or tail vein injection of approx. 1×1012 to 1×1015 vg/kg, preferably 1×1013 to 1×1014 vg/kg in PBS pH 7.4 per mouse. The injected vectors are either empty “null” (control group) or carried the NPP1 or NPP3 gene (study group).
Assays: Kidney histology, PPi levels, and blood urine parameters such as FGF-23 levels, vitamin D, Parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels, serum/blood urea levels, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels, serum/blood creatine levels and plasma pyrophosphate (PPi) are analyzed for each cohort as described in Example 3 and 4.
Histology, Histomorphometry, and Micro-CT: Bone analysis is conducted following the protocols as described in Example 3.
Bone biomechanical testing: Bone analysis is conducted following the protocols as described in Example 3.
Results: Untreated HYP (or ENPP1asj/asj) mice generally exhibit reduced body weight, lethargy, diminished cortical bone thickness and trabecular bone volume, calcification of cartilage and ligaments, reduced bone density in the long bones such as Femur and Tibia, and increased mortality compared to wild type. In contrast, HYP (or ENPP1asj/asj) mice treated with AAV expressing ENPP1 proteins or ENPP3 proteins are expected to show an increase in body weight approaching the body weight ranges of normal WT mice, normal alertness, increases bone mineral density, improved cortical bone thickness and trabecular bone volume, increased bone strength and bone ductility. The HYP (or ENPP1asj/asj) mice treated with null vector are expected to display calcifications in their hearts, aortas and coronary arteries, and histologic evidence of myocardial infarctions in the free wall of right ventricle, calcifications of coronary arteries, heart, ascending and descending aorta, myocardial cell necrosis, and myocardial fibrosis in the myocardial tissue adjacent to regions of coronary artery calcification. In contrast, HYP (or ENPP1asj/asj) mice treated with vector expressing ENPP1-Fc or ENPP3-Fc are expected to display an absence of cardiac, arterial, or aortic calcification on histology or post-mortem micro-CT. The HYP (or ENPP1asj/asj) mice treated with null vector also show calcifications centered in the renal medulla along with heavy, extensive calcifications, centered in the outer medulla, with extension into the renal cortex. In contrast HYP (or ENPP1asj/asj) mice treated with viral vector based expression of ENPP1 or ENPP3 are expected to show a reduction or lack of renal mineral deposits in the tubular lumen, reduction of calcification of spine, and soft tissue vasculature with histology similar to that of healthy wildtype mice.
In addition to survival, daily animal weights, and terminal histology, treatment response is assessed via post-mortem high-resolution micro-CT scans to image vascular calcifications, and plasma PPi concentrations. None of the WT or treated (vector expressing ENPP1) HYP (or ENPP1asj/asj) mice are expected to possess any vascular calcifications via micro-CT, in contrast to the dramatic calcifications that are expected to be seen in the aortas, coronary arteries, and hearts of the untreated (null vector) HYP (or ENPP1asj/asj) cohort. In addition, serum PPi concentrations of treated (vector expressing ENPP1) HYP (or ENPP1asj/asj) mice (5.2 μM) are expected to be elevated to WT levels (4.4 μM) and significantly above untreated HYP (or ENPP1asj/asj) levels (0.5 μM).
Untreated HYP (or ENPP1asj/asj) mice are also expected to show a significant increase in serum inorganic phosphorous (pi), increase in PTH and FGF23 levels but a decrease in 1.25(OH)2-Vitamin D levels and lower PPi levels (˜0.5 μM) when compared with that of healthy wild type mice (Normal levels of PP are about 2-4 μM; about 10-65 ng/L for PTH; median FGF23 level is 13 RU/ml and normal FGF23 level ranges from 5 to 210 RU/ml; normal Vitamin D levels are 20 ng mL to 50 ng/mL). In contrast, treated HYP (or ENPP1asj/asj) mice are expected to show elevated levels of PPi (˜4-5 μM) which are expected to be higher than the PPi levels found in untreated HYP (or ENPP1asj/asj) mice (˜0.5 μM). Thus a person of ordinary skill can determine the therapeutic efficacy of vector based ENPP1 or ENPP3 in treating ADHR-2 or ARHR-2 or XLH by observing one or more factors like reduction (25%, or 50%, or 70%, or 90% or 100% reduction) of calcification of soft tissues in kidneys and coronary arteries visualized through histological analysis, increase in serum PPi levels, normalization of vitamin D levels, reduction in FGF23 levels to normal ranges and normalization of PTH levels from blood analysis, improved long bone strength, increased bone density, improved corticular bone thickness and trabecular bone volume, increased survival and improved kidney function observed by increase in urine urea and creatine along with increased weight gain.
Treatment of Human Subjects:
A human patient suffering from ADHR-2 or ARHR-2 or XLH is treated by providing an intravenal injection containing approximately. 5×1011-5×1015 vg/kg in 1×PBS at pH 7.4, in some embodiments approximately 1×1012-1×1015 vg/kg in 1×PBS at pH 7.4 per subject capable of delivering and expressing hENPP1 or hENPP3. Successful treatment of ADHR-2 or ARHR-2 or XLH is observed by monitoring one or more aforesaid parameters through periodic bone strength, bone density blood and urine tests as discussed for mouse models. Instead of histological analysis which requires staining of kidney slices or arterial tissues which is not feasible to perform in living patients, one instead uses noninvasive visualization techniques as discussed in example 4.
Similarly, patients are subjected to periodic bone density measurements using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) or peripheral dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (pDXA) or quantitative ultrasound (QUS) or peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT). Bone density scores obtained from one of these methods provides indication of the condition and progress obtained after the treatment. A T-score of −1.0 or above is considered as normal bone density, a T-score between −1.0 and −2.5 indicates the presence of Osteopenia and whereas a T-score of −2.5 or below indicates the presence of Osteoporosis. A gradual improvement of T-score is expected in patients treated with ENPP1 or ENPP3 of the invention.
A medical doctor having skill in visualizing soft tissue calcification, cardiac calcification, bone density visualization undertakes the treatment of a subject afflicted with ADHR-2 or ARHR-2 or XLH by administering AAV virions expressing hENPP1 or hENPP3. In some embodiments, the physician uses viral particles that deliver constructs of hENPP1 or hENPP3 and express the corresponding proteins under the control of an inducible promoter. The physician thus has the option to control the dosage (amount of hENPP1 or hENPP3 expressed) based on the rate and extent of improvement of symptoms. A successful treatment and suitable dosage is readily inferred by a medical professional of skill in art by observing one or more positive symptoms such as normal vitamin D levels (20 ng/ml to 50 ng mL is considered adequate for healthy people. A level less than 12 ng mL indicates vitamin D deficiency), normal bone density (T score of ≥−1) normal blood urea nitrogen levels (BUN level for healthy adults is 7-20 mg dL), weight gain, increase in serum PPi levels (at least about 4-5 μm), reduction in calcification (25%, or 50%, or 70%, or 90% or 100% reduction) of arterial tissues, improved bone strength visualized by noninvasive techniques such as CT, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or ultrasound scans.
Three cohorts of Normal mice were used for this experiment. Each cohort contains five adult mice. The first cohort was used as a “Control group” and saline solution was injected to the control group. The second cohort was used as the “Low dose group” and AAV vector at 1e13 vg/kg concentration was injected to the low dose group. The Third cohort was used a “High dose group” and AAV vector at 1e14 vg/kg concentration was injected to the high dose group. The process of generating viral particles from AAV construct and injecting the recombinant AAV viral particles comprising ENPP1 fusion proteins into normal mice is schematically shown in
Blood was collected into heparin-treated tubes. Plasma was isolated, and platelets were removed by filtering through a Nanosep 30 kDa Omega centrifugal filter (Pall, OD030C35). The samples were centrifuged at top speed (˜20 kg) at 4° C. for 20 min. The flow-through was collected and placed on dry ice to flash freeze the samples. The samples were stored at −80° C. for later use in assay.
The samples collected were first assayed to determine the activity levels of ENPP1 using the colorimetric substrate, p-nitrophenyl thymidine 5′-monophosphate (Sigma). Plasma samples were incubated with 1 mg/ml p-nitrophenyl thymidine 5′-monophosphate for 1 hr in 1% Triton,
The results of the ENPP1 activity assay are in
The samples were then assayed to determine the concentration of ENPP1 using sandwich ELISA assay with ENPP1 polyclonal antibody derived from Sigma (SAB1400199). 96 Well Clear Flat Bottom Polystyrene High Bind Microplate (Corning Cat #9018), BSA (Sigma #7906), 10× Dulbecco's Phosphate Buffered Saline (DPBS) (Quality Biological Cat #119-068-101), Tween-20 (Sigma Cat #P2287), Anti-ENPP1, Antibody Produced in Mouse (Sigma-Aldrich Cat #SAB1400199), Sure Blue TMB Microwell Peroxidase Substrate (1-component) (KPL Prod #52-00-01), 2N Sulphuric acid (BDH Product #BDH7500-1), MilliQ Water, C57BL/6 Mouse Plasma NaHep Pooled Gender (BioIVT cat #MSE01PLNHPNN), Mouse Serum (BIO IVT elevating Science cat #MSE01SRMPNN) were used for the ELISA assay.
A standard curve for ENPP1-Fc protein is generated by following standard procedures known in art. Briefly serial dilutions of ENPP1-Fc protein ranging from 2 mg/ml to 30 ng·ml were made. The 96 well plate was first coated with 1 μg/1 mL of overnight coat solution comprising the ENPP1 capture antibody in 1×PBS. The wells were then incubated with 5% BSA in PBS for 1 hr and were then washed with post block solution. The ENPP1 dilution samples were added to the coated 96 well plates and incubated for 1.5 hrs. After incubation, the wells were washed four times with 300 μl of 0.05T % PBST. The washed wells were then treated with 100 μL/well of the detection HRP antibody conjugate and were incubated for 1 hour. After incubation with HRP antibody conjugate, the wells were washed four times with 300 μl of 0.05T % PBST. The washed wells were then treated with 100p of TMB Microwell Peroxidase Substrate per well and incubated in dark for 30 minutes. The wells were then washed four times with 300 μl of 0.05T % PBST and the reaction was stopped using 2N Sulphuric Acid. The absorbance of the well was read using Microplate Reader at a wavelength of 450 nm. A standard curve was generated using the absorbance read and the corresponding concentration of the ENPP1 serial dilution samples.
The assay was then repeated using plasma samples obtained from control, low dose and high dose cohorts on 7, 28 and 56 days post viral injection. The absorbance generated in each plasma sample was correlated with the standard curve of ENPP1-Fc to determine concentration of ENPP1-Fc in the plasma samples. The results of ENPP1 concentration assay are shown in
The samples were also assayed to determine the concentration of Plasma PPi using Sulfurylase assay. ATP sulfurylase (NEB-M0394L, Lot #:10028529), Adenosine 5′-phosphosulfate (APS; Santa Cruz, sc-214506)), PPi: 100 uM stock, HEPES pH 7.4 buffer (Boston Bioproducts BB2076), Magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) solution at 1M, Calcium chloride (CaCl2)) solution at 1M, BactiterGlo (Promega G8231), Plates (Costar 3915, black flat bottom) and Plate reader (Molecular Devices Spectramax I3x) were used for the PPi-Sulfurylase assay. PPi standards (0.125-4 μM) were prepared in water using serial dilution. PPi standards and PPi in filtered plasma samples were converted into ATP by ATP sulfurylase in the presence of excess adenosine 5′ phosphosulfate (APS). The sample (15 μl) was treated with 5 μl of a mixture containing 8 mM CaCl2), 2 mM MgSO4, 40 mM HEPES pH7.4, 80 uM APS (Santa Cruz, sc-214506), and 0.1 U/ml ATP sulfurylase (NEB-M0394L). The mixture was incubated for 40 min at 37° C., after which ATP sulfurylase was inactivated by incubation at 90° C. for 10 min. The generated ATP was determined using BactiterGlo (Promega G8231) by mixing 20 μl of treated sample or standard with 20 μl of BactiterGlo reagent. Bioluminescence was subsequently determined in a microplate reader and from the standard curve, the amount of PPi generated in each sample was subsequently determined.
The results of Plasma PPi assay are shown in
In a related experiment, C57/Bl male mice 5-6 weeks old were administered intravenously a single dose of an AAV viral vector at 1e14 vg/kg, or a vehicle control (containing no AAV vector). Animals were administered GK1.5 (40 μg/mouse one day prior to administration of the viral vector or vehicle, and then 25 μg/mouse every seven days thereafter until completion of the study). The AAV viral vector was engineered to express a fusion protein of ENPP1 and an IgG Fc similar to the polypeptide described in Example 10 except the ENPP1 portion and the IgG Fc portion of the fusion protein were joined by the following linker amino acid sequence: GGGGS. Mice administered the AAV viral vector demonstrated a higher level of ENPP1 enzyme activity than the vehicle only control as measured over an approximately 40 day period.
Three cohorts of Normal mice were used for this experiment. Each cohort contains five adult mice. The first cohort was used as a “Control group” and saline solution was injected to the control group. The second cohort was used as the “Low dose group” and AAV vector at 1e13 vg/kg concentration was injected to the low dose group. The Third cohort was used a “High dose group” and AAV vector at 1e14 vg/kg concentration was injected to the high dose group. The process of generating viral particles from AAV construct and injecting the recombinant AAV viral particles comprising ENPP1 fusion proteins into normal mice is schematically shown in
Blood was collected into heparin-treated tubes. The samples were centrifuged at top speed (˜20 kg) at 4° C. for 20 min. The flow-through was collected and placed on dry ice to flash freeze the samples. The samples were stored at −80° C. for later use in assay.
The samples collected were first assayed to determine the activity levels of ENPP1 using the colorimetric substrate, p-nitrophenyl thymidine 5′-monophosphate (Sigma) as described in Example 10. The results of the ENPP1 activity assay are in
The samples were then assayed to determine the concentration of ENPP1 using sandwich ELISA assay with ENPP1 polyclonal antibody derived from Sigma (SAB1400199) following the protocols taught in Example 10. The assay was then repeated using plasma samples obtained from control, low dose and high dose cohorts on 7, 28, 56 and 112 days post viral injection. The absorbance generated in each plasma sample was correlated with the standard curve of ENPP1-Fc to determine concentration of ENPP1-Fc in the plasma samples.
The results of ENPP1 concentration assay are shown in
An AAV8 plasmid was created comprising an expression cassette with the following elements in the 5′ to 3′ direction: one of three different promoters (see below), a polynucleotide comprising N terminal Azurocidin signal sequence, a polynucleotide encoding a variant ENPP1-Fc construct as described below, and an SV40 polyadenylation signal. The expression cassette is flanked by the 5′ ITR and the 3′ ITR from AAV8. Construct 10.1, as referred to herein, contains a cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter. Construct 10.2 contains the liver-specific promoter, liver promoter 1 (LP1) (see, e.g., Nathwani et al. Blood 2006; 107(7):2653-2661). Construct 10.3 contains the liver specific promoter, hybrid liver promoter (HLP) (see, e.g., McIntosh et al. Blood. 2013; 121(17):3335-44). An example of HLP sequence is shown in SEQ ID NO: 97.
A variant form of ENPP1-Fc was used in these constructs. The variant ENPP1-Fc contained a recombinant soluble human ENPP1 polypeptide portion comprising a single amino acid substitution at position 332 (I332T; relative to SEQ ID NO:1), a linker sequence (GGGGS (SEQ ID NO:94), and a human immunoglobulin IgG1 Fc portion containing three amino acid substitutions relative to the wild type human IgG1 Fc (M252Y/S254T/T256E, according to EU numbering). The sequence of the variant ENPP1-Fc is depicted below (with annotations).
MTRLTVLALLAGLLASSRA
APSCAKEVKSCKGRCFERTFGNCRCDA
ACVELGNCCLDYQETCIEPEHIWTCNKERCGEKRLTRSLCACSDD
CKDKGDCCINYSSVCQGEKSWVEEPCESINEPQCPAGFETPPTLL
FSLDGFRAEYLHTWGGLLPVISKLKKCGTYTKNMRPVYPTKTFPN
HYSIVTGLYPESHGIIDNKMYDPKMNASFSLKSKEKFNPEWYKGE
PIWVTAKYQGLKSGTFFWPGSDVEINGTFPDIYKMYNGSVPFEER
ILAVLQWLQLPKDERPHFYTLYLEEPDSSGHSYGPVSSEVIKALQ
RVDGMVGMLMDGLKELNLHRCLNLILISDHGMEQGSCKKYIYLNK
YLGDVKNIKVIYGPAARLRPSDVPDKYYSFNYEGIARNLSCREPN
QHFKPYLKHFLPKRLHFAKSDRIEPLTFYLDPQWQLALNPSERKY
CGSGFHGSDNVFSNMQALFVGYGPGFKHGIEADTFENIEVYNLMC
DLLNLTPAPNNGTHGSLNHLLKNPVYTPKHPKEVHPLVQCPFTRN
PRDNLGCSCNPSILPIEDFQTQFNLTVAEEKIIKHETLPYGRPRV
LQKENTICLLSQHQFMSGYSQDILMPLWTSYTVDRNDSFSTEDFS
NCLYQDFRIPLSPVHKCSFYKNNTKVSYGFLSPPQLNKNSSGIYS
EALLTTNIVPMYQSFQVIWRYFHDTLLRKYAEERNGVNVVSGPVF
DFDYDGRCDSLENLRQKRRVIRNQEILIPTHFFIVLTSCKDTSQT
PLHCENLDTLAFILPHRTDNSESCVHGKHDSSWVEELLMLHRARI
TDVEHITGLSFYQQRKEPVSDILKLKTHLPTFSQED
GGGGSDKTH
The variant ENPP1-Fc sequence was cloned using standard molecular biology protocols into a AAV8 plasmid. Infectious AAV8 vector particles were generated as described above.
The efficacy of delivery of a vector encoding and capable of expressing the variant ENPP1-Fc was tested in wild type mice (C57BL/6 mice). Four sets of mice were used in this experiment, each set included five mice (5-6 weeks old), before injection of AAV8 particles, all sets of mice were tolerized by intraperitoneal injection of Titer GK1.5CD4 antibody at a concentration of 1000 μg/ml (final dose of 25-40 μg/animal) to reduce immune responses in mouse to human proteins produced by AAV8 constructs. A first cohort of mice that served as control group were injected with a vehicle control, a second cohort of mice that served as a study group and were injected with AAV8 particles comprising polynucleotide that encodes a variant ENPP1-Fc protein driven by the CMV promoter (Construct 10.1), a third cohort of mice that served as another study group were injected with AAV8 particles comprising polynucleotide that encodes the variant ENPP1-Fc protein under the control of the LP1 promoter (Construct 10.2); and a fourth cohort of mice that served as yet another study group were injected with AAV8 particles comprising polynucleotide that encodes the variant ENPP1-Fc protein under the control of the HLP promoter (Construct 10.3). Each mouse in each group was administered by IV injection 1e14 vg/kg dose of the respective AAV construct. Tolerization injections were repeated weekly after the AAV injection to each cohort.
Blood was collected from the mice at days −1 (from injection of AAV constructs), 7, 21, 28, and 42, and ENPP1 enzymatic activity were measured as described above.
The results of the ENPP1 activity assay are in
These results indicate that the liver specific promoters LP1 and HLP are very efficient at driving expression of recombinant ENPP1 constructs in animals.
An AAV8 plasmid was created comprising an expression cassette with the following elements in the 5′ to 3′ direction: one of three different promoters (see below), a polynucleotide comprising N terminal Azurocidin signal sequence, a polynucleotide encoding a variant ENPP3-Fc construct as described below, and an SV40 polyadenylation signal. The expression cassette is flanked by the 5′ ITR and the 3′ ITR from AAV8. Construct (x), as referred to herein, contains a cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter. Construct (y) contains the liver-specific promoter, liver promoter 1 (LP1) (see, e.g., Nathwani et al. Blood 2006; 107(7):2653-2661). Construct (z) contains the liver specific promoter, hybrid liver promoter (HLP) (see, e.g., McIntosh et al. Blood. 2013; 121(17):3335-44).
A variant form of ENPP3-Fc was used in these constructs. The variant ENPP3-Fc contained a recombinant soluble human ENPP3 polypeptide, a linker sequence (GGGGS (SEQ ID NO:94), and a human immunoglobulin IgG1 Fc portion containing three amino acid substitutions relative to the wild type human IgG1 Fc (M252Y/S254T/T256E, according to EU numbering). The sequence of the variant ENPP3-Fc is depicted below (with annotations).
MTRLTVLALLAGLLASSRA**AKQGSCRKKCFDASFRGLENCRCD
VACKDRGDCCWDFEDTCVESTRIWMCNKFRCGETRLEASLCSCSD
DCLQRKDCCADYKSVCQGETSWLEENCDTAQQSQCPEGFDLPPVI
LFSMDGFRAEYLYTWDTLMPNINKLKTCGIHSKYMRAMYPTKTFP
NHYTIVTGLYPESHGIIDNNMYDVNLNKNESLSSKEQNNPAWWHG
QPMNLTAMYQGLKAATYFWPGSEVAINGSFPSIYMPYNGSVPFEE
RISTLLKWLDLPKAERPRFYTMYFEEPDSSGHAGGPVSARVIKAL
QVVDHAFGMLMEGLKQRNLHNCVNIILLADHGMDQTYCNKMEYMT
DYFPRINFFYMYEGPAPRIRAHNIPHDFFSENSEEIVRNLSCRKP
DQHFKPYLTPDLPKRLHYAKNVRIDKVHLFVDQQWLAVRSKSNTN
CGGGNHGYNNEFRSMEAIFLAHGPSFKEKTEVEPFENIEVYNLMC
DLLRIQPAPNNGTHGSLNHLLKVPFYEPSHAEEVSKFSVCGFANP
LPTESLDCFCPHLQNSTQLEQVNQMLNLTQEEITATVKVNLPFGR
PRVLQKNVDHCLLYHREYVSGFGKAMRMPMWSSYTVPQLGDTSPL
PPTVPDCLRADVRVPPSESQKCSFYLADKNITHGFLYPPASNRTS
DSQYDALITSNLVPMYEEFRKMWDYFHSVLLIKHATERNGVNVVS
GPIFDYNYDGHFDAPDEITKHLANTDVPIPTHYFVVLTSCKNKSH
TPENCPGWLDVLPFIIPHRPTNVESCPEGKPEALWVEERFTAHIA
RVRDVELLTGLDFYQDKVQPVSEILQLKTYLPTFETTIGGGGSDK
The variant ENPP3-Fc sequence is cloned using standard molecular biology protocols into an AAV8 plasmid. Infectious AAV8 vector particles are generated as described above.
The efficacy of delivery of a vector encoding and capable of expressing the variant ENPP3-Fc is tested in wild type mice (C57BL/6 mice). Four sets of mice are used in this experiment, each set included five mice (5-6 weeks old), before injection of AAV8 particles, all sets of mice are tolerized by intraperitoneal injection of Titer GK1.5CD4 antibody at a concentration of 1000 μg/ml (final dose of 25-40 μg/animal) to reduce immune responses in mouse to human proteins produced by AAV8 constructs.
A first cohort of mice (control group) is injected with a vehicle control, a second cohort (study group-x) is injected with AAV8 particles comprising polynucleotide that encodes a variant ENPP1-Fc protein driven by the CMV promoter (Construct x), a third cohort of mice (study group-y) is injected with AAV8 particles comprising polynucleotide that encodes the variant ENPP3-Fc protein under the control of the LP1 promoter (Construct y); and a fourth cohort of mice (study group-z) were injected with AAV8 particles comprising polynucleotide that encodes the variant ENPP1-Fc protein under the control of the HLP promoter (Construct z). Each mouse in each group was administered by IV injection 1e14 vg/kg dose of the respective AAV construct. Tolerization injections were repeated weekly after the AAV injection to each cohort.
Blood samples are collected from the mice at days −1 (from injection of AAV constructs), 7, 21, 28, and 42, and ENPP3 enzymatic activity were measured as described above.
A 10-week study was performed to evaluate the PK and PD profile after single dose AAV8 vectors expressing a variant ENPP1-Fc fusion protein. Enpp1asj-2J/asj-2J mice at the age of 2 weeks were randomly assigned to four groups and administered with either vehicle (shown as red dots) or a single intravenous (IV) dose of AAV8 ENPP1-Fc at 1×1010 vg/kg (low dose; shown as magenta dots), 1×102 vg/kg (medium dose, shown as orange dots), or 1×1014 vg/kg (high dose; shown as black dots). One group of wild-type mice (shown as blue dots) were administered vehicle for comparison.
The variant ENPP1-Fc fusion comprised the amino acid sequence depicted in SEQ ID NO: 95 (ENPP1-Fc variant containing I332T mutation relative to SEQ ID NO: 1 & M252Y, S254T and T256E mutations in Fc region according to EU numbering). Expression of the nucleotide coding sequence for the ENPP1-Fc fusion was driven by the HLP liver specific promoter (SEQ ID NO: 97).
Blood samples were collected on day 7, 14, 28, 42 and 70 to measure plasma ENPP1 enzymatic activity and PPi levels. At the end of the study, aorta, kidneys, spleen, vibrissae were harvested for tissue calcium analyses.
Enpp1asj-2J/asj-2J mice treated with high dose of AAV8 ENPP1-Fc showed significantly elevated plasma ENPP1 activity levels over the course of the study (
A study to evaluate changes in bone structure in Enpp1asj-2J/asj-2J female mice treated with a single, high dose (2.5×1013 vg/kg) of AAV8 ENPP1-Fc fusion relative to age matched wild type mice and Enpp1asj-2J/asj-2J mice, both treated with the vehicle alone, was undertaken. As in Example 16, the AAV8 ENPP1-Fc fusion comprised the amino acid sequence depicted in SEQ ID NO: 95 (ENPP1-Fc variant containing I332T mutation relative to SEQ ID NO: 1 & M252Y, S254T and T256E mutations in Fc region according to EU numbering). Expression of the nucleotide coding sequence for the ENPP1-Fc fusion was driven by the HLP liver specific promoter (SEQ ID NO: 97).
Several parameters were assessed to evaluate the bone structure of these treated mice including bone length, trabecular number, cortical thickness, trabecular thickness and trabecular bone volume.
All the bone analysis were done in bone samples dissected from female mice. Fixed femora were imaged with an in-vivo micro-CT scanner. Regions of interest (ROI) for the trabecular bone and cortical bone were selected to calculate the bone morphometric and densitometric parameters.
A significant increase in bone length was observed in Enpp1asj-2J/asj-2J female mice treated with a single, high dose (2.5×1013 vg/kg) of AAV8 ENPP1-Fc fusion relative to both Enpp1asj-2J/asj-2J mice (p≤0.001) and wild type mice treated with the vehicle alone. The Enpp1asj-2J/asj-2J mice treated with the vehicle alone showed a significant decrease in bone length relative to wild type mice treated with vehicle alone (p<0.05).
A significant increase in cortical thickness was observed in Enpp1asj-2J/asj-2J female mice treated with a single, high dose (2.5×1013 vg/kg) of AAV8 ENPP1-Fc fusion relative to Enpp1asj-2J/asj-2J mice treated with the vehicle alone, (p<0.05), though the increase did not equal the cortica 1 thickness displayed by wild type mice treated with vehicle alone. The Enpp1asj-2J/asj-2J mice treated with the vehicle alone showed a decrease in cortical thickness relative to wild type mice treated with vehicle alone, (p≤0.0001).
A significant increase in both trabecular number and thickness (p<0.05) and (p≤0.001) respectively, was observed in Enpp1asj-2J/asj-2J female mice treated with a single, high dose (2.5×1013 vg/kg) of AAV8 ENPP1-Fc fusion relative to Enpp1asj-2J/asj-2J mice treated with the vehicle alone and wild type mice treated with the vehicle alone. The Enpp1asj-2J/asj-2J mice treated with the vehicle alone showed a decrease in both trabecular number and thickness relative to wild type mice treated with vehicle alone.
A significant increase in the trabecular bone volume fraction (BV/TV) (the volume of mineralized bone per unit volume of the sample) was observed in Enpp1asj-2J/asj-2J female mice treated with a single, high dose (2.5×1013 vg/kg) of AAV8 ENPP1-Fc fusion relative to Enpp1asj-2J/asj-2J mice treated with the vehicle alone, (P≤0.01). The Enpp1asj-2J/asj-2J mice treated with the vehicle alone showed a decrease in bone volume relative to wild type mice treated with vehicle alone.
Thus, compared to wild type mice, Enppasj-2J/asj-2J mice treated with vehicle showed shorter bone length, thinner cortical bone, lower trabecular number and thickness, and lower trabecular bone volume. Treatment with 2.5×1013 vg/kg of AAV-ENPP1-Fc increased the bone length and corrected the defects in the trabecular and cortical areas of femora in mutant mice.
A study to evaluate changes in osteoblast function and growth in Enpp1asj-2J/asj-2J female mice treated with a single, high dose (2.5e13 vg/kg) of AAV8 ENPP1-Fc fusion relative to age matched wild type mice and Enpp1asj-2J/asj-2J mice, both treated with the vehicle alone. As in Examples 16 and 17, the AAV8 ENPP1-Fc fusion comprised the amino acid sequence depicted in SEQ ID NO: 95 (ENPP1-Fc variant containing I332T mutation relative to SEQ ID NO: 1 & M252Y, S254T and T256E mutations in Fc region according to EU numbering). Expression of the nucleotide coding sequence for the ENPP1-Fc fusion was driven by the HLP liver specific promoter (SEQ ID NO: 97).
For dynamic histomorphometric analysis, 10 mg/kg calcein were injected into mice at 9 days interval. After fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin, undecalcified femora were embedded in methylmethacrylate and proximal metaphysis was sectioned longitudinally and stained with toluidine blue for osteoblasts, and von kossa for mineralization. Bone formation rate (BFR)/bone surface (BS), osteoblast surface (Ob.S)/BS are measured in regions of interest defined in the trabecular bone in the metaphysis. For histological analysis, tibiae were fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin and decalcified by EDTA for 2-4 weeks. Decalcified tibiae were embedded in paraffin and sectioned. Sections of decalcified tibia were stained with Safranin O for chondrocytes in the growth plate.
A significant increase in both bone formation rate and osteoblast surface was observed in Enpp1asj-2J/asj-2J female mice treated with a single, high dose (2.5e13 vg/kg) of AAV8 ENPP1-Fc fusion relative to Enpp1asj-2J/asj-2J mice treated with the vehicle alone. These latter mice in turn, showed a decrease in both rate of bone formation and osteoblast surface relative to wild type mice treated with vehicle alone.
A decrease in the rachitic phenotype was observed in Enpp1asj-2J/asj-2J mice treated with a single, high dose (2.5e13 vg/kg) of AAV8 ENPP1-Fc fusion relative to Enpp1asj-2J/asj-2J mice treated with the vehicle alone, as indicated by the decrease in both number and columnar organization of hypertrophic chondrocytes. These latter mice in turn, showed an increase in rachitic phenotype relative to wild type mice treated with vehicle alone.
Thus, compared to wild type mice, Enpp1asj-2J/asj-2J mice treated with vehicle showed lower bone formation rate, lower osteoblast surface and more layers of hypertrophic chondrocytes which is characteristics of rachitic phenotype. In contrast, treatment with 2.5×1013 vg/kg of AAV-ENPP1-Fc normalized bone formation rate, osteoblast surface area and growth plate structure in mutant mice.
In order to investigate stabilized, safe and efficacious lipid nanoparticles for use in the delivery of polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising the catalytic domain of an ENPP1 or an ENPP3 protein to cells, a range of formulations are prepared and tested. Nanoparticles can be made with mixing processes such as microfluidics and T-junction mixing of two fluid streams, one of which contains the recombinant nucleic acid and the other has the lipid components.
Cationic and/or ionizable lipids may be selected from the non-limiting group consisting of 3-(didodecylamino)-N1,N1,4-tridodecyl-1-piperazineethanamine (KL10), N1-[2-(didodecylamino)ethyl]-N1,N4,N4-tridodecyl-1,4-piperazinediethanamine (KL22), 14,25-ditridecyl-15,18,21,24-tetraaza-octatriacontane (KL25), 1,2-dilinoleyloxy-N,N-dimethylaminopropane (DLin-DMA), 2,2-dilinoleyl-4-dimethylaminomethyl-[1,3]-dioxolane (DLin-K-DMA), heptatriaconta-6,9,28,31-tetraen-19-yl 4-(dimethylamino)butanoate (DLin-MC3-DMA), 2,2-dilinoleyl-4-(2-dimethylaminoethyl)-[1,3]-dioxolane (DLin-KC2-DMA), 1,2-dioleyloxy-N,N-dimethylaminopropane (DODMA), 2-({8-[(β3)-cholest-5-en-3-yloxy]octyl}oxy)-N,N-dimethyl-3-[(9Z,12Z)-octadeca-9,12-dien-1-yloxy]propan-1-amine (Octyl-CLinDMA), (2R)-2-({8-[(β3)-cholest-5-en-3-yloxy]octyl}oxy)-N,N-dimethyl-3-[(9Z,12Z)-octadeca-9,12-dien-1-yloxy]propan-1-amine (Octyl-CLinDMA (2R)), (2S)-2-({8-[(β3)-cholest-5-en-3-yloxy]octyl}oxy)-N,N-dimethyl-3-[(9Z,12Z)-octadeca-9,12-dien-1-yloxy]propan-1-amine (Octyl-CLinDMA (2S)),
Lipid compositions are prepared by combining a ionizable lipid, such as MC3, a phospholipid (such as DOPE or DSPC, obtainable from Avanti Polar Lipids, Alabaster, Ala.), a PEG lipid (such as 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycerol methoxypolyethylene glycol, also known as PEG-DMG, obtainable from Avanti Polar Lipids, Alabaster, Ala.), and a structural lipid (such as cholesterol, obtainable from Sigma-Aldrich, Taufkirchen, Germany, or a corticosteroid (such as prednisolone, dexamethasone, prednisone, and hydrocortisone), or a combination thereof) at concentrations of about 50 mM in ethanol. Solutions should be refrigeration for storage at, for example, −20° C.
Lipids are combined to yield desired molar ratios (see, for example, Table 1) and diluted with water and ethanol to a final lipid concentration of between about 5.5 mM and about 25 mM.
Lipid nanoparticles including a recombinant nucleic acid component and a lipid component are prepared by combining the lipid solution with a solution of polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising the catalytic domain of an ENPP1 or an ENPP3 protein, at lipid component to nucleic acid component, wt:wt ratios between about 5:1 and about 50:1. The lipid solution is rapidly injected using a NanoAssemblr microfluidic based system at flow rates between about 10 mi/min and about 18 mi/min into the therapeutic and/or prophylactic solution to produce a suspension with a water to ethanol ratio between about 1:1 and about 4:1.
Lipid nanoparticles can be processed by dialysis to remove ethanol and achieve buffer exchange. Formulations are dialyzed twice against phosphate buffered saline (PBS), pH 7.4, at volumes 200 times that of the primary product using Slide-A-Lyzer cassettes (Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Rockford, Ill.) with a molecular weight cutoff of 10 kD. The first dialysis is carried out at room temperature for 3 hours. The formulations are then dialyzed overnight at 4° C. The resulting nanoparticle suspension is filtered through 0.2 μm sterile filters (Sarstedt, Ntimbrecht, Germany) into glass vials.
The method described above induces nano-precipitation and particle formation. Alternative processes including, but not limited to, T-junction and direct injection, may be used to achieve the same nano-precipitation. The LPN comprising recombinant nucleic acid encoding catalytic domain of ENPP1 or ENPP3 thus prepared are characterized and administered in the following examples.
A Zetasizer Nano ZS (Malvern Instruments Ltd, Malvern, Worcestershire, UK) can be used to determine the particle size, the polydispersity index (PDI) and the zeta potential of the lipid nanoparticles in 1×PBS in determining particle size and 15 mM PBS in determining zeta potential.
Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy can be used to determine the concentration of a recombinant nucleic acid in lipid nanoparticles. 100 μL of the diluted formulation in 1×PBS is added to 900 μL of a 4:1 (v/v) mixture of methanol and chloroform. After mixing, the absorbance spectrum of the solution is recorded, for example, between 230 nm and 330 nm on a DU 800 spectrophotometer (Beckman Coulter, Beckman Coulter, Inc., Brea, Calif.). The concentration of recombinant nucleic acid in the lipid nanoparticle can be calculated based on the extinction coefficient of the nucleic acid used in the composition and on the difference between the absorbance at a wavelength of, for example, 260 nm and the baseline value at a wavelength of, for example, 330 nm.
For lipid nanoparticles including ds DNA, a Quant-iT™. PicoGreen dsDNA reagent can be used to evaluate the encapsulation of an DNA by the lipid nanoparticle. The samples are diluted to a concentration of approximately 5 μg/mL in a TE buffer solution (10 mM Tris-HCl, 1 mM EDTA, pH 7.5). 50 μL of the diluted samples are transferred to a polystyrene 96 well plate and either 50 μL of TE buffer or 50 μL of a 2% Triton X-100 solution is added to the wells. The plate is incubated at a temperature of 37° C. for 15 minutes. The Picogreen® reagent is diluted 1:100 in TE buffer, and 100 μL of this solution is added to each well. The fluorescence intensity can be measured using a fluorescence plate reader (Wallac Victor 1420 Multilablel Counter; Perkin Elmer, Waltham, Mass.) at an excitation wavelength of, for example, about 485 nm and an emission wavelength of, for example, about 535 nm. The fluorescence values of the reagent blank are subtracted from that of each of the samples and the percentage of free DNA is determined by dividing the fluorescence intensity of the intact sample (without addition of Triton X-100) by the fluorescence value of the disrupted sample (caused by the addition of Triton X-100).
The LNP comprising polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising the catalytic domain of an ENPP1 or an ENPP3 protein thus prepared can be used to transfect mammalian cells in vivo or in vitro.
The efficacy of delivery of a LNP comprising a recombinant nucleic acid encoding NPP1 or NPP3 polypeptide is tested using a mouse model such as Enpp1asj/asj mouse model, ABCC6−/− mouse model, HYP mouse model, ttw mouse model, mouse model of chronic kidney disease (CKD) or ⅚ nephrectomy rat model of CKD. As a non-limiting example, the following experiment uses Enpp1asj/asj mouse as the mouse model, Azurocidin-NPP1-Fc construct as the polynucleotide being delivered to the mouse model, and the delivery is accomplished by using LNP particles (prepared as shown in Example 19) which encodes ENPP1-Fc protein in vivo.
A person of ordinary skill would recognize the same experiment can be repeated by using alternate mouse models, alternate polynucleotide constructs comprising alternate signal sequences (NPP2, NPP5, NPP7. Albumin or Azurocidin etc.) encoding different ENPP1 fusions proteins (ENPP1-Albumin or ENPP1-Fc or ENPP1 functional equivalents or ENPP1 lacking Fc or Albumin domains etc.) or different ENPP3 fusion proteins (ENPP3-Fc or ENPP3-Albumin or ENPP3-lacking Fc or Albumin domain or ENPP3 functional equivalents etc.) disclosed in the invention for testing the efficacy of gene therapy for treating diseases of pathological calcification or ossification. The Azurocidin-NPP1-Fc construct utilized in the experiment encodes human ENPP1-Fc protein as a proof of concept and the same experiment can be repeated with an Azurocidin-NPP3-Fc construct that encodes human ENPP3-Fc.
Four sets of mice are used in this experiment, each set has at least five mice (6-8 weeks old), a first cohort of ENPP1wt mice that serve as control group are injected with LNP particles that comprise a null vector, a second cohort of ENPP1asj/asj mice that serve as a control group are injected with LNP particles that comprise a null vector, a third cohort of ENPP1wt mice that serve as study group are injected with LNP particles comprising polynucleotide that encodes ENPP1-Fc protein, and a fourth cohort of ENPP1asj/asj that serve as test group are injected with LNP particles comprising polynucleotide that encodes ENPP1-Fc protein.
The mice of the experiment are fed with either an acceleration diet ((Harlan Teklad, Rodent diet TD.00442, Madison, WI), which is enriched in phosphorus and has reduced magnesium content) or regular chow (Laboratory Autoclavable Rodent Diet 5010; PMI Nutritional International, Brentwood, MO) and after 6-8 weeks of age, all mice receive a retro-orbital injection or tail vein injection of LNP comprising recombinant nucleic acids encoding catalytic domain of ENPP1 or ENPP1-Fc in PBS pH 7.4. The injected vectors are either empty “null” (control group) or carry the NPP1 gene (study group). Weight measurements are made daily to record any increases or decreases in body weight post LNP injection. Blood, urine, bone and tissue samples from the mice are collected and analyzed as follows. The experimental protocols are listed in detail in Albright et al., Nat Commun. 2015 Dec. 1; 6:10006, and Caballero et al., PLoS One. 2017; 12(7): e0180098, the contents of all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. At the end of the study (at 7, 28 and 112 days, all mice are euthanized following orbital exsanguination in deep anesthesia with isoflurane and vital organs are removed as described in art. (Impaired urinary osteopontin excretion in Npt2a−/− mice, Caballero et al., Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2017 Jan. 1; 312(1):F77-F83; Response of Npt2a knockout mice to dietary calcium and phosphorus, Li Y et al., PLoS One. 2017; 12(4):e0176232).
Assay: Kidney histology, PPi levels, and blood urine parameters such as FGF-23 levels, vitamin D, Parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels, serum/blood urea levels, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels, serum/blood creatine levels and plasma pyrophosphate (PPi) are analyzed for each cohort as described in Example 3 and 4.
Results: Untreated Enpp1asj/asj mice generally exhibit reduced body weight and increased mortality. In contrast, Enpp1asj/asj mice treated with LNP comprising recombinant nucleic acid encoding catalytic domain of ENPP1 are expected to show an increase in body weight approaching the body weight ranges of normal WT mice.
Enpp1asj/asj mice treated with null vector are expected to display calcifications in their hearts, aortas and coronary arteries, and histologic evidence of myocardial infarctions in the free wall of right ventricle, calcifications of coronary arteries, heart, ascending and descending aorta, myocardial cell necrosis, and myocardial fibrosis in the myocardial tissue adjacent to regions of coronary artery calcification. In contrast, Enpp1asj/asj animals treated with LNP comprising a recombinant nucleic acid encoding catalytic domain of ENPP1-Fc are expected to display an absence of cardiac, arterial, or aortic calcification on histology or post-mortem micro-CT. Enpp1asj/asj mice treated with null vector also show calcifications centered in the renal medulla along with heavy, extensive calcifications, centered in the outer medulla, with extension into the renal cortex. In contrast, Enpp1asj/asj mice treated with according to the invention with ENPP1 are expected to show a reduction or lack of renal mineral deposits in the tubular lumen and soft tissue vasculature with histology similar to that of healthy wildtype mice.
In addition to survival, daily animal weights, and terminal histology, treatment response is assessed via post-mortem high-resolution micro-CT scans to image vascular calcifications, plasma PPi concentrations, and 99mTc PPi (99mPYP) uptake. None of the WT or LNP treated (comprising vector expressing ENPP1 or ENPP3) Enpp1asj/asj are expected to possess any vascular calcifications via micro-CT, in contrast to the dramatic calcifications are expected in the aortas, coronary arteries, and hearts of the untreated (null vector) Enpp1asj/asj cohort. In addition, serum PPi concentrations of LNP treated (comprising vector expressing ENPP1 or ENPP3) Enpp1asj/asj animals (5.2 μM) are expected to be elevated to WT levels (4.4 μM) and significantly above untreated enpp1asj/asj levels (0.5 μM).
From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that variations and modifications may be made to the invention described herein to adopt it to various usages and conditions, including the use of different signal sequences to express functional variants of ENPP1 or ENPP3 or combinations thereof in different viral vectors having different promoters or enhancers or different cell types known in art to treat any diseases characterized by the presence of pathological calcification or ossification are within the scope according to the invention. Other embodiments according to the invention are within the following claims.
Recitation of a listing of elements in any definition of a variable herein includes definitions of that variable as any single element or combination (or sub combination) of listed elements. Recitation of an embodiment herein includes that embodiment as any single embodiment or in combination with any other embodiments or portions thereof.
All publications and patent applications mentioned in the specification are indicative of the level of skill of those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. All publications and patent applications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.
Other embodiments are within the following claims.
This U.S. Patent application is a continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT/US2021/054216, filed Oct. 8, 2021, which claims priority to the following provisional applications, U.S. Application No. 63/089,515 filed on Oct. 8, 2020, U.S. Application No. 63/165,650 filed on Mar. 24, 2021, and U.S. Application No. 63/248,339 filed on Sep. 24, 2021, the contents of each of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63248339 | Sep 2021 | US | |
| 63165650 | Mar 2021 | US | |
| 63089515 | Oct 2020 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/US21/54216 | Oct 2021 | US |
| Child | 18297228 | US |
