Electrotransfer of the full-length dog dystrophin into mouse and dystrophic dog muscles

Hum Gene Ther. 2010 Nov;21(11):1591-601. doi: 10.1089/hum.2010.024.

Abstract

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked genetic disease characterized by the absence of dystrophin (427 kDa). An approach to eventually restore this protein in patients with DMD is to introduce into their muscles a plasmid encoding dystrophin cDNA. Because the phenotype of the dystrophic dog is closer to the human phenotype than is the mdx mouse phenotype, we have studied the electrotransfer of a plasmid carrying the full-length dog dystrophin (FLDYS(dog)) in dystrophic dog muscle. To achieve this nonviral delivery, the FLDYS(dog) cDNA was cloned in two plasmids containing either a cytomegalovirus or a muscle creatine kinase promoter. In both cases, our results showed that the electrotransfer of these large plasmids (∼17 kb) into mouse muscle allowed FLDYS(dog) expression in the treated muscle. The electrotransfer of pCMV.FLDYS(dog) in a dystrophic dog muscle also led to the expression of dystrophin. In conclusion, introduction of the full-length dog dystrophin cDNA by electrotransfer into dystrophic dog muscle is a potential approach to restore dystrophin in patients with DMD. However, the electrotransfer procedure should be improved before applying it to humans.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Line
  • DNA, Complementary / genetics
  • DNA, Complementary / metabolism
  • Dogs
  • Dystrophin / genetics*
  • Dystrophin / metabolism*
  • Genetic Therapy
  • Genetic Vectors
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred mdx
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Muscle, Skeletal / metabolism*
  • Muscular Dystrophy, Animal / genetics
  • Muscular Dystrophy, Animal / metabolism*
  • Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne / genetics
  • Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne / metabolism
  • Plasmids
  • Transfection

Substances

  • DNA, Complementary
  • Dystrophin