Expanding Adeno-Associated Viral Capsid Engineering to Multiple Variable Regions for Diversified Tropism

Author: Goertsen, David Gerald

Year: 2023

Degree: Dissertation (Ph.D.)

Advisor: Gradinaru, Viviana

Committee Members: Van Valen, David A.; Bois, Justin S.; Wang, Kaihang; Gradinaru, Viviana

Option: Bioengineering

DOI: 10.7907/7x3a-g504

Abstract

Adeno-associated virus research is critical for the advancement of gene therapy and treatment of myriad debilitating genetic disorders. Targeted delivery of genetic components to a tissue or cell population remains a bottleneck for gene therapy, but the selection of AAV capsids through directed evolution can yield vectors that target desired tissues or cells. This thesis details the engineering of the AAV capsid to acquire desired tropism, namely reduction in liver transduction or increased transduction of the lung. Chapter I chronicles the history of AAV engineering, provides useful information about the AAV capsid proteins, and describes how AAV has been engineered for altered tropism in works preceding this thesis. Chapter II describes the development of AAV9.452sub.LUNG1, an AAV variant that is enriched in the lung of mice after systemic injection. Chapter III details the engineering of variants with attenuated tropism in the liver while maintaining previously acquired brain transduction after systemic injection. Two of these variants, AAV.CAP-B10 and AAV.CAP-B22, display similar tropism in the marmoset after systemic injection. Chapter IV describes the parallel engineering of prominent variable regions of the AAV capsid. Overall, the work presented in this thesis expands the toolbox available for gene therapy and represents an advancement of methods for AAV capsid engineering.

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