Systemic AAV9.BVES delivery ameliorates muscular dystrophy in a mouse model of LGMDR25

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type R25 (LGMDR25) is caused by recessive mutations in BVES encoding a cAMP-binding protein, characterized by progressive muscular dystrophy with deteriorating muscle function and impaired cardiac conduction in patients. There is currently no therapeutic treatment for LGMDR25 patients. Here we report the efficacy and safety of recombinant adeno-associated virus 9 (AAV9)-mediated systemic delivery of human BVES driven by a muscle-specific promoter MHCK7 (AAV9.BVES) in BVES-knockout (BVES-KO) mice. AAV9.BVES efficiently transduced the cardiac and skeletal muscle tissues when intraperitoneally injected into neonatal BVES-KO mice. AAV9.BVES dramatically improved body weight gain, muscle mass, muscle strength, and exercise performance in BVES-KO mice regardless of sex. AAV9.BVES also significantly ameliorated the histopathological features of muscular dystrophy. The heart rate reduction was also normalized in BVES-KO mice under exercise-induced stress following systemic AAV9.BVES delivery. Moreover, intravenous AAV9.BVES administration into adult BVES-KO mice after the disease onset also resulted in substantial improvement in body weight, muscle mass, muscle contractility, and stress-induced heart rhythm abnormality. No obvious toxicity was detected. Taken together, these results provide the proof-of-concept evidence to support the AAV9.BVES gene therapy for LGMDR25.