First Author | Bensadoun JC | Year | 2000 |
Journal | Exp Neurol | Volume | 164 |
Issue | 1 | Pages | 15-24 |
PubMed ID | 10877911 | Mgi Jnum | J:63437 |
Mgi Id | MGI:1861008 | Doi | 10.1006/exnr.2000.7409 |
Citation | Bensadoun JC, et al. (2000) Lentiviral vectors as a gene delivery system in the mouse midbrain: cellular and behavioral improvements in a 6-OHDA model of Parkinson's disease using GDNF. Exp Neurol 164(1):15-24 |
abstractText | Local delivery of therapeutic molecules represents one of the limiting factors for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. In vivo gene transfer using viral vectors constitutes a powerful strategy to overcome this limitation. The aim of the present study was to validate the lentiviral vector as a gene delivery system in the mouse midbrain in the perspective of screening biotherapeutic molecules in mouse models of Parkinson's disease. A preliminary study with a LacZ-encoding vector injected above the substantia nigra of C57BL/6j mice indicated that lentiviral vectors can infect approximately 40,000 cells and diffuse over long distances. Based on these results, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) was assessed as a neuroprotective molecule in a 6-hydroxydopamine model of Parkinson's disease. Lentiviral vectors carrying the cDNA for GDNF or mutated GDNF were unilaterally injected above the substantia nigra of C57BL/6j mice. Two weeks later, the animals were lesioned ipsilaterally with 6-hydroxydopamine into the striatum. Apomorphine-induced rotation was significantly decreased in the GDNF-injected group compared to control animals. Moreover, GDNF efficiently protected 69.5% of the tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cells in the substantia nigra against 6-hydroxydopamine-induced toxicity compared to 33.1% with control mutated GDNF. These data indicate that lentiviral vectors constitute a powerful gene delivery system for the screening of therapeutic molecules in mouse models of Parkinson's disease. Copyright 2000 Academic Press. |