In vivo gene editing via homology-independent targeted integration for adrenoleukodystrophy treatment

Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) is caused by various pathogenic mutations in the X-linked ABCD1 gene, which lead to metabolically abnormal accumulations of very long-chain fatty acids in many organs. However, curative treatment of ALD has not yet been achieved. To treat ALD, we applied two different gene-editing strategies, base editing and homology-independent targeted integration (HITI), in ALD patient-derived fibroblasts. Next, we performed in vivo HITI-mediated gene editing using AAV9 vectors delivered via intravenous administration in the ALD model mice. We found that the ABCD1 mRNA level was significantly increased in HITI-treated mice, and the plasma levels of C24:0-LysoPC (lysophosphatidylcholine) and C26:0-LysoPC, sensitive diagnostic markers for ALD, were significantly reduced. These results suggest that HITI-mediated mutant gene rescue could be a promising therapeutic strategy for human ALD treatment.