Combination Antisense Treatment for Destructive Exon Skipping of Myostatin and Open Reading Frame Rescue of Dystrophin in Neonatal mdx Mice

Mol Ther. 2015 Aug;23(8):1341-1348. doi: 10.1038/mt.2015.88. Epub 2015 May 11.

Abstract

The fatal X-linked Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), characterized by progressive muscle wasting and muscle weakness, is caused by mutations within the DMD gene. The use of antisense oligonucleotides (AOs) modulating pre-mRNA splicing to restore the disrupted dystrophin reading frame, subsequently generating a shortened but functional protein has emerged as a potential strategy in DMD treatment. AO therapy has recently been applied to induce out-of-frame exon skipping of myostatin pre-mRNA, knocking-down expression of myostatin protein, and such an approach is suggested to enhance muscle hypertrophy/hyperplasia and to reduce muscle necrosis. Within this study, we investigated dual exon skipping of dystrophin and myostatin pre-mRNAs using phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers conjugated with an arginine-rich peptide (B-PMOs). Intraperitoneal administration of B-PMOs was performed in neonatal mdx males on the day of birth, and at weeks 3 and 6. At week 9, we observed in treated mice (as compared to age-matched, saline-injected controls) normalization of muscle mass, a recovery in dystrophin expression, and a decrease in muscle necrosis, particularly in the diaphragm. Our data provide a proof of concept for antisense therapy combining dystrophin restoration and myostatin inhibition for the treatment of DMD.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Alternative Splicing
  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Arginine / chemistry
  • Diaphragm / metabolism
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Dystrophin / genetics*
  • Dystrophin / metabolism
  • Exons*
  • Genetic Therapy
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Inbred mdx
  • Morpholinos / genetics
  • Muscle, Skeletal / metabolism
  • Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne / genetics
  • Myostatin / genetics*
  • Myostatin / metabolism
  • Necrosis
  • Oligonucleotides, Antisense / chemistry*
  • Open Reading Frames*
  • Peptides / chemistry
  • Reading Frames

Substances

  • Dystrophin
  • Morpholinos
  • Myostatin
  • Oligonucleotides, Antisense
  • Peptides
  • Arginine