Dual-vector gene therapy restores cochlear amplification and auditory sensitivity in a mouse model of DFNB16 hearing loss

Hearing loss affects an estimated 466 million people worldwide, with a substantial fraction due to genetic causes. Approximately 16% of genetic hearing loss is caused by pathogenic mutations in , a gene that encodes the protein stereocilin. To develop gene therapy strategies for patients with hearin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science advances 2021-12, Vol.7 (51), p.eabi7629-eabi7629
Main Authors: Shubina-Oleinik, Olga, Nist-Lund, Carl, French, Courtney, Rockowitz, Shira, Shearer, A Eliot, Holt, Jeffrey R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Human Genetics
Neuroscience
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Summary:Hearing loss affects an estimated 466 million people worldwide, with a substantial fraction due to genetic causes. Approximately 16% of genetic hearing loss is caused by pathogenic mutations in , a gene that encodes the protein stereocilin. To develop gene therapy strategies for patients with hearing loss, we generated a mouse model with a targeted deletion in the gene. We devised a novel dual-vector approach to circumvent the size limitation of AAV vectors and drive expression of full-length STRC protein. To target outer hair cells, which are difficult to transduce, we used synthetic AAV9-PHP.B vectors for efficient dual-vector transduction. We report robust recovery of exogenous STRC expression in outer hair cells of -deficient mice, recovery of hair bundle morphology, substantially improved cochlear amplification, and enhanced auditory sensitivity. The data raise the prospect that our strategy could benefit ~2.3 million patients worldwide affected by mutations.
ISSN:2375-2548
2375-2548
DOI:10.1126/sciadv.abi7629