Therapeutic efficacy of antisense oligonucleotides in mouse models of CLN3 Batten disease

Nat Med. 2020 Sep;26(9):1444-1451. doi: 10.1038/s41591-020-0986-1. Epub 2020 Jul 27.

Abstract

CLN3 Batten disease is an autosomal recessive, neurodegenerative, lysosomal storage disease caused by mutations in CLN3, which encodes a lysosomal membrane protein1-3. There are no disease-modifying treatments for this disease that affects up to 1 in 25,000 births, has an onset of symptoms in early childhood and typically is fatal by 20-30 years of life4-7. Most patients with CLN3 Batten have a deletion encompassing exons 7 and 8 (CLN3∆ex7/8), creating a reading frameshift7,8. Here we demonstrate that mice with this deletion can be effectively treated using an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) that induces exon skipping to restore the open reading frame. A single treatment of neonatal mice with an exon 5-targeted ASO-induced robust exon skipping for more than a year, improved motor coordination, reduced histopathology in Cln3∆ex7/8 mice and increased survival in a new mouse model of the disease. ASOs also induced exon skipping in cell lines derived from patients with CLN3 Batten disease. Our findings demonstrate the utility of ASO-based reading-frame correction as an approach to treat CLN3 Batten disease and broaden the therapeutic landscape for ASOs in the treatment of other diseases using a similar strategy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Line
  • Codon, Nonsense / genetics
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Frameshift Mutation / genetics
  • Humans
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / genetics*
  • Mice
  • Molecular Chaperones / genetics*
  • Neuronal Ceroid-Lipofuscinoses / drug therapy*
  • Neuronal Ceroid-Lipofuscinoses / genetics*
  • Oligonucleotides, Antisense / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • CLN3 protein, human
  • CLN3 protein, mouse
  • Codon, Nonsense
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Molecular Chaperones
  • Oligonucleotides, Antisense