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Updated: Jul 29, 2025
Surgical Method for Virally Mediated Gene Delivery to the Mouse Inner Ear through the Round Window Membrane
Published on: March 16, 2015
Rescue of auditory function by a single administration of AAV-TMPRSS3 gene therapy in aged mice of human recessive
Wan Du1, Volkan Ergin1, Corena Loeb1
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate Program in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
Abstract:
Patients with mutations in the TMPRSS3 gene suffer from recessive deafness DFNB8/DFNB10. For these patients, cochlear implantation is the only treatment option. Poor cochlear implantation outcomes are seen in some patients. To develop biological treatment for TMPRSS3 patients, we generated a knockin mouse model with a frequent human DFNB8 TMPRSS3 mutation. The Tmprss3A306T/A306T homozygous mice display delayed onset progressive hearing loss similar to human DFNB8 patients. Using AAV2 as a vector to carry a human TMPRSS3 gene, AAV2-hTMPRSS3 injection in the adult knockin mouse inner ear results in TMPRSS3 expression in the hair cells and the spiral ganglion neurons. A single AAV2-hTMPRSS3 injection in Tmprss3A306T/A306T mice of an average age of 18.5 months leads to sustained rescue of the auditory function to a level similar to wild-type mice. AAV2-hTMPRSS3 delivery rescues the hair cells and the spiral ganglions neurons. This study demonstrates successful gene therapy in an aged mouse model of human genetic deafness. It lays the foundation to develop AAV2-hTMPRSS3 gene therapy to treat DFNB8 patients, as a standalone therapy or in combination with cochlear implantation.
