WO2022226301A1

WO2022226301A1 - Chimeric heart tropic aav capsids

Info

Publication number: WO2022226301A1
Application number: PCT/US2022/025935
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bin Xiao; Xiao Xiao; Juan Li
Original assignee: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Current assignee: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Priority date: 2021-04-23
Filing date: 2022-04-22
Publication date: 2022-10-27
Anticipated expiration: 2023-10-23

Abstract

The invention relates to modified chimeric AAV capsids, virus vectors comprising the same, and methods of using the vectors such as to target the heart. The invention further relates to modified chimeric AAV capsids with improved infectivity to cardiomyocytes, virus vectors comprising the same, and methods of using the vectors to target cardiomyocytes with improved infectivity.

Description

CHIMERIC HEART TROPIC AAV CAPSIDS

STATEMENT OF PRIORITY

This application claims the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e), of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/178,880, filed on April 23, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.

STATEMENT REGARDING ELECTRONIC FILING OF A SEQUENCE LISTING

A Sequence Listing in ASCII text format, submihed under 37 C.F.R. § 1.821, entitled 5470-893WO_ST25.txt, 268,180 bytes in size, generated on April 22, 2022 and filed via EFS-Web, is provided in lieu of a paper copy. This Sequence Listing is hereby incorporated herein by reference into the specification for its disclosures.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to chimeric AAV capsids, virus vectors comprising the same, and methods of using the vectors such as to target the heart. The invention further relates to chimeric AAV capsids with improved infectivity to cardiomyocytes, virus vectors comprising the same, and methods of using the vectors to target cardiomyocytes with improved infectivity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Pre-existing anti-AAV antibodies prevent AAV vectors transduction and usually cause the failure of gene therapy in clinical trials; previous studies have indicated that antibodies against AAV serotypes could be found at variable percentages, including AAV5 (3.2%), AAV1 (50.5%), AAV2 (59%), AAV6 (37%), AAV 8 (19%) and AAV9 (33.5%). This suggested that anti-AAV5 antibody has the lowest relative level of anti-serotype antibodies in the human body, suggestive of AAV5 as a good choice in theory for AAV gene therapy. However, AAV5 serotype at present has poor infectivity in vitro and in vivo, which limits its application in the clinic. To overcome the shortcomings of original AAV5 and increase target gene expression in the heart, it is necessary to modify AAV5 capsid sequences for more powerful infectivity.

Gene therapy has emerged as an attractive strategy for heart diseases. AAV vectors have been applied in clinical trials as tools, but immune responses to AAV vectors and preexisting anti-AAV antibodies limit their application in clinic. Although some common AAV stereotypes such as AAV8 and AAV9 vectors have been used as a tool to treat heart diseases in clinical trials, their off-targeting to the liver can cause liver dysfunction.

The present invention overcomes shortcomings in the art by providing modified chimeric AAV5 capsids with improved infectivity in vitro and in vivo, increased heart tropism, and reduced off-targeting to the liver (liver detargeted).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the present invention comprises a chimeric adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsid of a first serotype comprising the following: a) a VP1 capsid protein of a second AAV serotype that is different from or the same as said first AAV serotype; b) a VP2 capsid protein of a third AAV serotype that is different from or the same as said first and/or second AAV serotype; and c) aVP3 capsid protein of a fourth AAV serotype that is different from or the same as said first, second, and/or third AAV serotype comprising an insertion (a "self-similar" insertion) in the VP3 variable region (VR)-VIII region of one or more (e.g., two or more, three or more, four or more, five or more, six or more, seven or more, eight or more, nine or more, ten or more, etc.) VP3 VR sequence from one or more (e.g., two or more, three or more, four or more, five or more, six or more, seven or more, eight or more, nine or more, ten or more, etc.) fifth AAV serotype, that is different from or the same as said first, second, third, and/or fourth AAV serotype; wherein the chimeric AAV capsid has enhanced heart tropism as compared to the heart tropism of a corresponding wildtype AAV capsid of the first serotype.

In some embodiments, a chimeric AAV5 capsid of the present invention may have reduced liver tropism (may be liver detargeted) as compared to the liver tropism of a corresponding wildtype AAV capsid of the first serotype.

In some embodiments, a chimeric AAV capsid of the present invention may be covalently linked, bound to, or encapsidating a compound selected from the group consisting of a DNA molecule, an RNA molecule, a polypeptide, a carbohydrate, a lipid, a small organic molecule, and any combination thereof.

Another aspect of the present invention provides an AAV particle comprising: the chimeric AAV capsid of the present invention; and an AAV vector genome; wherein the AAV capsid encapsidates the AAV vector genome.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a nucleic acid molecule encoding a chimeric AAV5 capsid of the present invention. In another aspect, the present invention provides a vector comprising the nucleic acid molecule of this invention.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a cell (e.g., an in vitro cell) comprising a chimeric particle, nucleic acid molecule, and/or vector of the present invention.

Also provided are pharmaceutical formulations comprising an AAV particle, nucleic acid molecule, and/or vector of the present invention in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a method of producing a recombinant AAV particle comprising an AAV capsid, the method comprising: providing/introducing into a cell in vitro with the nucleic acid molecule of the present invention, an AAV rep coding sequence, an AAV vector genome comprising a heterologous nucleic acid molecule, and helper functions for generating a productive AAV infection under conditions whereby assembly of the recombinant AAV particle comprising the AAV capsid and encapsidation of the AAV vector genome can occur.

Also provided is an AAV particle produced by the methods of the present invention.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a method of delivering a nucleic acid molecule to a cardiomyocyte, the method comprising contacting the cardiomyocyte with an AAV particle, nucleic acid molecule, vector, and/or pharmaceutical formulation of the present invention.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a method of delivering a nucleic acid molecule to a cardiomyocyte in a mammalian subject, the method comprising: administering an effective amount of an AAV particle, nucleic acid molecule, vector, and/or pharmaceutical formulation of the present invention to a mammalian subject, thereby delivering the nucleic acid molecule to a cardiomyocyte in the mammalian subject.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a method of treating a disorder in a mammalian subject in need thereof, wherein the disorder is treatable by expressing a nucleic acid molecule encoding a therapeutic product in the heart of the subject, the method comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of AAV particle, nucleic acid molecule, vector, and/or pharmaceutical formulation of the present invention to the mammalian subject under conditions whereby the nucleic acid molecule encoding the therapeutic product is expressed in the heart, thereby treating the disorder.

In some embodiments, the mammalian subject of the methods of the present invention may have previously received gene therapy treatment with an AAV particle of a serotype that is not the serotype of a corresponding wildtype first AAV serotype. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a schematic of the construction of example chimeric AAV5 vectors of the present invention. VP1 and VP2 of AAV5 are replaced individually by VP1 and/or VP2 of AAV9. VP3 of AAV5 is kept unchanged to generate AAV59.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic of AAV591, AAV592, and AAV593 construction. Based on AAV59 construction as shown in FIG. 1, AAV591, 592 and 593 are generated through the individual insertion of three different sequences ("self-similar sequence 1, 2, 3") at VR-VIII (Q574) in the AAV5-sourced VP3.

FIG. 3 shows a stepwise schematic of the process of AAV591 and AAV592 formation by nested insertion of self-similar sequences of VR-VIII into AAV59’s VP3. FIG. 3 panel A shows a partial sequence (from amino acid residue positions 546 to 625) of AAV 59 (SEQ ID NO: 6) including the VR-VIII portion of AAV5 VP3 ("NNQSSTT" (SEQ ID NO:64; bulge indicated with arrow). The site Q574 is receptive to insertion of extra sequences, such as but not limited to the suggested QSAQAQA (lx AAV9’s VR-VIII; SEQ ID NO:62). FIG. 3 panel B shows the same partial sequence as in FIG. 3 panel A, now with one copy of the suggested "QSAQAQA" (SEQ ID NO:62) sequence inserted at amino acid residue position Q574 of AAV59, thereby generating a chimeric capsid VP3 herein identified as "AAV59 + lx AAV9’s VR-VIII." An additional sequence "QSAQAQA" (SEQ ID NO:62) is shown as an example possible further insertion. FIG. 3 panel C shows the same partial sequence as above, with the additional possible "QSAQAQA" (SEQ ID NO:62) inserted nested inside the embedded AAV9’s VR-VIII of FIG. 3 panel B, generating the sequence "QSAQQSAQAQAAQA," (SEQ ID NO:68) thereby generating a chimeric capsid VP3 herein identified as "AAV59 + 2x AAV9’s VR-VIII." An additional sequence "QSAQAQA" (SEQ ID NO:62) is shown as an example possible further insertion. FIG. 3 panel D shows the same partial sequence as above, with the additional "QSAQAQA" (SEQ ID NO:62) inserted nested inside the embedded 2x AAV9’s VR-VIII of FIG. 3 panel C, generating the sequence "QSAQGSriOQSAQAQAriGG AQA." (SEQ ID NO:65) thereby generating a chimeric capsid VP3 herein identified as "AAV59 + 3x AAV9’s VR-VIII," also referred to as "AAV591" (SEQ ID NO: 11). An additional sequence "NSTSGGSS" (lx AAV9’s VR-VI; SEQ ID NO: 63) is shown as an example possible further insertion. FIG. 3 panel E shows the same partial sequence as above (that of AAV591; SEQ ID NO: 11), with the additional nested insertion of AAV9’s VR-I sequence ("NSTSGGSS" (SEQ ID NO:63)) into AAV591, thereby generating a chimeric capsid VP3 herein identified as "AAV59 + 3x AAV9’s VR-VIII + AAV9’s VR-I," also referred to as "AAV592" (SEQ ID NO: 13). FIG. 3 panels F-J show cartoon models (left) and surface models (right) made by SWISS-MODEL software corresponding with the constructions of FIG. 3 panels A-E, respectively.

FIG. 4 shows a stepwise schematic of the process of AAV593 formation by nested insertion of self-similar sequences of VR-VIII into AAV59’s VP3. FIG. 4 panel A shows a partial sequence (from amino acid residue positions 546 to 625) of AAV59 (SEQ ID NO:6) including the VR-VIII portion of AAV5 VP3 ("NNQSSTT" SEQ ID NO:64; bulge indicated with arrow). The site Q574 is receptive to insertion of extra sequences, such as but not limited to the suggested "NNQSSTT" (SEQ ID NO:64; lx AAV5’s VR-VIII). FIG. 4 panel B shows the same partial sequence as in FIG. 4 panel A, now with one copy of the suggested AAV5 VR-VIII ("NNQSSTT" (SEQ ID NO:64)) inserted at amino acid residue position Q574 of AAV59, thereby generating a chimeric capsid VP3 herein identified as "AAV59 + lx AAV5’s VR-VIII." An additional sequence "NNQSSTT" (SEQ ID NO:64) is shown as an example possible further insertion. FIG. 4 panel C shows the same partial sequence as above, with the additional possible "NNQSSTT" (SEQ ID NO:64) inserted nested inside the embedded AAV5’s VR-VIII of FIG. 4 panel B, generating the sequence "NNQNNQSSTTSSTT," (SEQ ID NO:69) thereby generating a chimeric capsid VP3 herein identified as "AAV59 + 2x AAV5’s VR-VIII." An additional sequence "NNQSSTT" (SEQ ID NO:64) is shown as an example possible further insertion. FIG. 4 panel D shows the same partial sequence as above, with the additional "NNQSSTT" (SEQ ID NO:64) inserted nested inside the embedded 2x AAV5’s VR-VIII of FIG. 3 panel C, generating the sequence "NNQ/V/VgNNQSSTTNWTSSTT," (SEQ ID NO:70) thereby generating a chimeric capsid VP3 herein identified as "AAV59 + 3x AAV5’s VR-VIII." An additional sequence "NSTSGGSS" (SEQ ID NO:63; lx AAV9’s VR-I) is shown as an example possible further insertion. FIG. 4 panel E shows the same partial sequence as above, with the additional nested insertion of AAV9’s VR-I sequence ("NSTSGGSS"; SEQ ID NO:63), generating the sequence "NNQNNONNQNSTSGGSSSSJJSSTISSTT " (SEQ ID NO:67) thereby generating a chimeric capsid VP3 herein identified as "AAV59 + 3x AAV5’s VR-VIII + AAV9’s VR-I," also referred to as "AAV593" (SEQ ID NO: 15). FIG. 4 panels F-J show cartoon models (left) and surface models (right) made by SWISS-MODEL software corresponding with the constructions of FIG. 4 panels A-E, respectively.

FIG. 5 shows four line constructions of AAV5 and chimeric vector VP3 (amino acid residue positions 546-625). In FIG. 5 panel A, the brackets indicate the VR-VIII of AAV5 or AAV59. In FIG. 5 panel B, the brackets indicate AAV591 inserted with self-similar sequences of AAV9’s VR-VIII based on the construction of AAV5 or AAV59. In FIG. 5 panel C, the brackets indicate AAV592 inserted with self-similar sequences of AAV9’s VR- VIII and one copy of AAV9’s VR-I, based on the construction of AAV5 or AAV59. In FIG. 5 panel D, the brackets indicate AAV593 inserted with self-similar sequences of AAV5’s VR-VIII and one copy of AAV9’s VR-I, based on the construction of AAV5 or AAV59.

FIG. 6A shows images of the modified chimeric AAV vectors successfully packaged. After a first spin with gradient CsCl, the empty (upper) and full (lower) AAV particles were separated into different bands.

FIG. 6B shows transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images of the modified chimeric AAV capsids of the present invention successfully packaged into full AAV vectors.

FIG. 7 shows histology images of LacZ expression mediated by the modified chimeric AAV vectors in vivo. AAV viruses were injected into C57/B6 mice by tail vein (3x10¹¹ vg/mouse). The chimeric AAV vector AAV591, AAV592 and AAV593 significantly decreased liver tropism compared with original AAV5 and AAV59 vector, while significantly increase heart tropism.

FIG. 8 shows a bar graph of LacZ activity mediated by the modified chimeric AAV vectors in different organs. AAV viruses were injected into C57/B6 mice by tail vein (3xl0ⁿ vg/mouse). The chimeric AAV vectors AAV591, AAV592 and AAV593 significantly increased heart tropism about 7.0 to about 21.9 or about 5.0 to about 15.5 fold, compared with original AAV5 and AAV59, individually. However, the three chimeric AAV vectors showed liver detargeting, and their mediated LacZ activity in the liver decreased down to about 16.2 to about26.6% or about 11.8 to about 19.3% of AAV5 or AAV59. The LacZ expression level in the lung, intestine, kidney, spleen, and pancreas was very low and there were no significant differences between groups.

FIG. 9 shows a bar graph of the ratio of LacZ activity of AAV5, AAV59, AAV591, AAV592, and AAV593 in heart and liver. The ratio of LacZ activity (heart/liver) in AAV591, AAV592 and AAV593 vectors increased about 20.1-66.4 or 33.9-69.5 fold, compared with AAV5 or AAV59, individually.

FIG. 10 shows images of LacZ staining mediated by the modified chimeric AAV vectors in Huh-7 cells with different MOI. Compared with original AAV5 vector, the chimeric AAV vectors could infect Huh-7 cells well, but AAV591, AAV592 and AAV593 could not. (MOI=5xl0⁵ vg/cell or MOI=lxl0⁵ vg/cell).

FIGS. 11A-11B show bar graphs of LacZ activity mediated by the chimeric AAV vectors in Huh-7 cells with different MOI. FIG. 11A shows LacZ activity mediated by high- MOI AAV vectors (MOI=5xl0⁵ vg/cell). Compared with original AAV5 vector, AAV59 with VP1 from AAV9 enhanced LacZ expression about 5 times; AAV591, AAV592 and AAV593 did not increase LacZ activity compared with AAV5. FIG. 11B shows LacZ activity mediated by low-MOI AAV vectors (MOI=lxl0⁵ vg/cell). Compared with original AAV5 vector, AAV59 enhanced LacZ expression about 7.6 times; AAV591, AAV592 and AAV593 did not increase LacZ activity compared with AAV5.

FIG. 12 shows a bar graph of neutralizing antibody (NAb) titers of IVIG in response to chimeric AAV5 vectors and AAV9. NAb titers are IVIG dilutions that inhibited vector transduction by >50% (dotted line). AAV591 (1:20), AAV592 (1:40) and AAV598 (1:20) showed low antigenicity similar to AAV5 (1:40) and AAV59 (1:20), while presenting about 16 to about 32-fold greater resistance to neutralization than AAV9 (1:640).

FIGS. 13A-13B show a model of AAV 5 VR-VIII (FIG. 13A) and models of AAV5 with (left-to-right; FIG. 13B) no copies, four nested copies, five nested copies, six nested copies, and 9 nested copies of additional AAV5 VR-VIII inserted. FIG. 13B additionally shows the partial sequences of the nested AAV5 VR-VIILs (SEQ ID NO:71-73 and 76) inserted into the VP3 (SEQ ID NO:3).

FIG. 14 shows an alignment of capsid protein sequences of AAV1 (SEQ ID NO: 17; GenBank® Accession No. AAD27757.1); AAV2 (SEQ ID NO:22; GenBank® Accession No. AAC03780.1), AAV3 (SEQ ID NO:27; GenBank® Accession No. NP_043941.1), AAV4 (SEQ ID NO:32; GenBank® Accession No. AAC58045.1), AAV5 (SEQ ID NO:l; GenBank® Accession No. YP_068409.1), AAV6 (SEQ ID NO:37; GenBank® Accession No. AAB95450.1), AAV7 (SEQ ID NO:42; GenBank® Accession No. YP_077178.1),

AAV 8 (SEQ ID NO:47; GenBank® Accession No. YP_077180.1), AAV9 (SEQ ID NO:52; GenBank® Accession No. AAS99264.1), and AAVrhlO (SEQ ID NO:57; GenBank® Accession No. AAO88201.1).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention now will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples, in which embodiments of the invention are shown. This description is not intended to be a detailed catalog of all the different ways in which the invention may be implemented, or all the features that may be added to the instant invention. For example, features illustrated with respect to one embodiment may be incorporated into other embodiments, and features illustrated with respect to a particular embodiment may be deleted from that embodiment. Thus, the invention contemplates that in some embodiments of the invention, any feature or combination of features set forth herein can be excluded or omitted. In addition, numerous variations and additions to the various embodiments suggested herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the instant disclosure, which do not depart from the instant invention. Hence, the following descriptions are intended to illustrate some particular embodiments of the invention, and not to exhaustively specify all permutations, combinations, and variations thereof.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The terminology used in the description of the invention herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention.

All publications, patent applications, patents and other references cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entireties for the teachings relevant to the sentence and/or paragraph in which the reference is presented.

Unless the context indicates otherwise, it is specifically intended that the various features of the invention described herein can be used in any combination. Moreover, the present invention also contemplates that in some embodiments of the invention, any feature or combination of features set forth herein can be excluded or omitted. To illustrate, if the specification states that a composition comprises components A, B and C, it is specifically intended that any of A, B or C, or a combination thereof, can be omitted and disclaimed singularly or in any combination.

As used in the description of the invention and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Also as used herein, "and/or" refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, as well as the lack of combinations when interpreted in the alternative ("or").

The term "about," as used herein when referring to a measurable value such as an amount or concentration and the like, is meant to encompass variations of ± 10%, ± 5%, ± 1%, ± 0.5%, or even± 0.1% of the specified value as well as the specified value. For example, "about X" where X is the measurable value, is meant to include X as well as variations of ± 10%, ± 5%, ± 1%, ± 0.5%, or even ± 0.1% of X. A range provided herein for a measurable value may include any other range and/or individual value therein.

As used herein, phrases such as "between X and Y" and "between about X and Y" should be interpreted to include X and Y. As used herein, phrases such as "between about X and Y" mean "between about X and about Y" and phrases such as "from about X to Y" mean "from about X to about Y."

The term "comprise," "comprises" and "comprising" as used herein, specify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

As used herein, the transitional phrase "consisting essentially of means that the scope of a claim is to be interpreted to encompass the specified materials or steps recited in the claim and those that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristic(s) of the claimed invention. Thus, the term "consisting essentially of when used in a claim of this invention is not intended to be interpreted to be equivalent to "comprising."

Except as otherwise indicated, standard methods known to those skilled in the art may be used for cloning genes, amplifying and detecting nucleic acids, and the like. Such techniques are known to those skilled in the art. See, e.g., Sambrook el al, Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual 2nd Ed. (Cold Spring Harbor, NY, 1989); Ausubel et al. Current Protocols in Molecular Biology (Green Publishing Associates, Inc. and John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York).

Nucleotide sequences are presented herein by single strand only, in the 5' to 3' direction, from left to right, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Nucleotides and amino acids are represented herein in the manner recommended by the IUPAC-IUB Biochemical Nomenclature Commission, or (for amino acids) by either the one-letter code, or the three letter code, both in accordance with 37 C.F.R. §1.822 and established usage.

To illustrate further, if, for example, the specification indicates that a particular amino acid can be selected from A, G, I, L and/or V, this language also indicates that the amino acid can be selected from any subset of these amino acid(s) for example A, G, I or L; A, G, I or V; A or G; only L; etc. as if each such sub combination is expressly set forth herein. Moreover, such language also indicates that one or more of the specified amino acids can be disclaimed (e.g., by negative proviso). For example, in particular embodiments the amino acid is not A, G or I; is not A; is not G or V; etc. as if each such possible disclaimer is expressly set forth herein.

The designation of all amino acid positions in the AAV capsid proteins in the AAV vectors and recombinant AAV nucleic acid molecules of the invention is with respect to VP1, VP2, and/or VP3 capsid subunit numbering identified as SEQ ID NO:l (AAV5 VP1+VP2) and SEQ ID NO:2 (AAV5 VP3), and/or wildtype AAV5 VP1, VP2, and VP3 capsid protein GenBank Accession No. YP_068409.1 (SEQ ID NO:20).

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that modifications as described herein if inserted into the AAV cap gene may result in modifications in the VP1, VP2 and/or VP3 capsid subunits. Alternatively, the capsid subunits can be expressed independently to achieve modification in only one or two of the capsid subunits (VP1, VP2, VP3, VP1 + VP2, VP1+VP3, or VP2 +VP3).

As used herein, the terms "reduce," "reduces," "reduction," "diminish," "inhibit" and similar terms mean a decrease of at least about 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 35%, 50%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 97% or more.

As used herein, the terms "enhance," "enhances," "enhancement" and similar terms indicate an increase of at least about 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%, 150%, 200%, 300%, 400%, 500% or more.

The term "parvovirus" as used herein encompasses the family Parvoviridae, including autonomously replicating parvoviruses and dependoviruses. The autonomous parvoviruses include members of the genera Parvovirus, Erythrovirus, Densovirus, Iteravirus, and Contravirus. Exemplary autonomous parvoviruses include, but are not limited to, minute virus of mouse, bovine parvovirus, canine parvovirus, chicken parvovirus, feline panleukopenia virus, feline parvovirus, goose parvovirus, HI parvovirus, Muscovy duck parvovirus, B19 virus, and any other autonomous parvovirus now known or later discovered. Other autonomous parvoviruses are known to those skilled in the art. See, e.g., BERNARD N. FIELDS et al, VIROLOGY, Volume 2, Chapter 69 (4th ed., Lippincott-Raven Publishers).

As used herein, the term "adeno-associated virus" (AAV), includes but is not limited to, AAV type 1, AAV type 2, AAV type 3 (including types 3 A and 3B), AAV type 4, AAV type 5, AAV type 6, AAV type 7, AAV type 8, AAV type 9, AAV type 10, AAV type 11, AAV type 12, AAV type 13, avian AAV, bovine AAV, canine AAV, equine AAV, ovine AAV, and any other AAV now known or later discovered. See, e.g., BERNARD N.

FIELDS et al, VIROLOGY, volume 2, chapter 69 (4th ed., Lippincott-Raven Publishers). A number of additional AAV serotypes and clades have been identified (see, e.g., Gao et al., (2004) J. Virology 78:6381-6388; Moris et al., (2004) Virology 33-:375-383; and Table 1).

The genomic sequences of various serotypes of AAV and the autonomous parvoviruses, as well as the sequences of the native terminal repeats (TRs), Rep proteins, and capsid subunits are known in the art. Such sequences may be found in the literature or in public databases such as GenBank®. These sequences include known amino acid sequences of the serotype capsid proteins, including but not limited to, AAD27757.1 (AAV1), YP_068409.1 (AAV5), AAC03780.1 (AAV2), AAC58045.1 (AAV4), NP_043941.1 (AAV3), AAB95450.1 (AAV 6), YP_077178.1 (AAV7), YP_077180.1 (AAV8),

AAS99264.1 (AAV9). See in addition, e.g., GenBank Accession Numbers NC_002077, NC_001401, NC_001729, NC_001863, NC_001829, NC_001862, NC_000883, NC_001701, NC_001510, NC_006152, NC_006261, AF063497, U89790, AF043303, AF028705, AF028704, J02275, J01901, J02275, X01457, AF288061, AH009962, AY028226, AY028223, NC_001358, NC_001540, AF513851, AF513852, AY530579; the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein for teaching parvovirus and AAV nucleic acid and amino acid sequences. See also, e.g., Srivistava et al. (1983) J. Virology 45:555;

Chiorini et al. (1998) J. Virology 71:6823; Chiorini et al. (1999) J. Virology 73:1309; Bantel- Schaal et al. (1999) J. Virology 73:939; Xiao et al. (1999) J. Virology 73:3994; Muramatsu et al. (1996) Virology 221:208; Shade et al. (1986) J. Virol. 58:921; Gao et al. (2002) Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 99:11854; Moris et al. (2004) Virology 33-:375-383; international patent publications WO 00/28061, WO 99/61601, WO 98/11244; and U.S. Patent No. 6,156,303; the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein for teaching parvovirus and AAV nucleic acid and amino acid sequences. See also Table 1.

The capsid structures of autonomous parvoviruses and AAV are described in more detail in BERNARD N. FIELDS et al. VIROLOGY, volume 2, chapters 69 & 70 (4th ed., Lippincott-Raven Publishers). See also, description of the crystal structure of AAV2 (Xie et al. (2002) Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 99:10405-10); AAV4 (Padron et al. (2005) J. Virol. 79: 5047- 58); AAV5 (Walters et al. (2004) J. Virol. 78:3361-71); and CPV (Xie et al. (1996) J. Mol. Biol. 6:497-520 and Tsao et al. (1991) Science 251:1456-64).

The term "tropism" as used herein refers to preferential entry of the virus into certain cells or tissues, optionally followed by expression (e.g., transcription and, optionally, translation) of a sequence(s) carried by the viral genome in the cell, e.g., for a recombinant virus, expression of a heterologous nucleic acid(s) of interest.

As used herein, "transduction" of a cell by a virus vector (e.g., an AAV vector) means entry of the vector into the cell and transfer of genetic material into the cell by the incorporation of nucleic acid into the virus vector and subsequent transfer into the cell via the virus vector.

Unless indicated otherwise, "efficient transduction" or "efficient tropism," or similar terms, can be determined by reference to a suitable positive or negative control (e.g., at least about 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95% or more of the transduction or tropism, respectively, of a positive control or at least about 110%, 120%, 150%, 200%, 300%, 500%, 1000% or more of the transduction or tropism, respectively, of a negative control).

Similarly, it can be determined if a virus "does not efficiently transduce" or "does not have efficient tropism" for a target tissue, or similar terms, by reference to a suitable control. In particular embodiments, the virus vector does not efficiently transduce (i.e., does not have efficient tropism for) tissues outside the liver, e.g., CNS, kidney, gonads and/or germ cells.

In particular embodiments, undesirable transduction of tissue(s) is 20% or less, 10% or less, 5% or less, 1% or less, 0.1% or less of the level of transduction of the desired target tissue(s).

As used herein, the term "polypeptide" encompasses both peptides and proteins, unless indicated otherwise.

A "polynucleotide" is a sequence of nucleotide bases, and may be RNA, DNA or DNA-RNA hybrid sequences (including both naturally occurring and non-naturally occurring nucleotides), but in representative embodiments are either single or double stranded DNA sequences.

As used herein, an "isolated" polynucleotide (e.g., an "isolated DNA" or an "isolated RNA") means a polynucleotide at least partially separated from at least some of the other components of the naturally occurring organism or virus, for example, the cell or viral structural components or other polypeptides or nucleic acids commonly found associated with the polynucleotide. In representative embodiments an "isolated" nucleotide is enriched by at least about 10-fold, 100-fold, 1000-fold, 10,000-fold or more as compared with the starting material.

Likewise, an "isolated" polypeptide means a polypeptide that is at least partially separated from at least some of the other components of the naturally occurring organism or virus, for example, the cell or viral structural components or other polypeptides or nucleic acids commonly found associated with the polypeptide. In representative embodiments an "isolated" polypeptide is enriched by at least about 10-fold, 100-fold, 1000-fold, 10,000-fold or more as compared with the starting material.

A "nucleic acid," "nucleic acid molecule," or "nucleotide sequence" is a sequence of nucleotide bases, and may be RNA, DNA or DNA-RNA hybrid sequences (including both naturally occurring and non-naturally occurring nucleotide), but is preferably either single or double stranded DNA sequences.

As used herein, an "isolated" nucleic acid or nucleotide sequence (e.g., an "isolated DNA" or an "isolated RNA") means a nucleic acid or nucleotide sequence separated or substantially free from at least some of the other components of the naturally occurring organism or virus, for example, the cell or viral structural components or other polypeptides or nucleic acids commonly found associated with the nucleic acid or nucleotide sequence.

Likewise, an "isolated" polypeptide means a polypeptide that is separated or substantially free from at least some of the other components of the naturally occurring organism or virus, for example, the cell or viral structural components or other polypeptides or nucleic acids commonly found associated with the polypeptide.

An "isolated cell" refers to a cell that is separated from other components with which it is normally associated in its natural state. For example, an isolated cell can be a cell in culture medium and/or a cell in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier of this invention. Thus, an isolated cell can be delivered to and/or introduced into a subject. In some embodiments, an isolated cell can be a cell that is removed from a subject and manipulated as described herein ex vivo and then returned to the subject.

As used herein, by "isolate" or "purify" (or grammatical equivalents) a virus vector or virus particle or population of virus particles, it is meant that the virus vector or virus particle or population of virus particles is at least partially separated from at least some of the other components in the starting material. In representative embodiments an "isolated" or "purified" virus vector or virus particle or population of virus particles is enriched by at least about 10-fold, 100-fold, 1000-fold, 10,000-fold or more as compared with the starting material.

The term "endogenous" refers to a component naturally found in an environment, i. e.. a gene, nucleic acid, miRNA, protein, cell, or other natural component expressed in the subject, as distinguished from an introduced component, i.e., an "exogenous" component.

As used herein, the term "heterologous" refers to a nucleotide/polypeptide that originates from a foreign species, or, if from the same species, is substantially modified from its native form in composition and/or genomic locus by deliberate human intervention.

A "heterologous nucleotide sequence" or "heterologous nucleic acid" is a sequence that is not naturally occurring in the virus. Generally, the heterologous nucleic acid or nucleotide sequence comprises an open reading frame that encodes a polypeptide and/or a nontranslated RNA.

A "therapeutic polypeptide" is a polypeptide that can alleviate, reduce, prevent, delay and/or stabilize symptoms that result from an absence or defect in a protein in a cell or subject and/or is a polypeptide that otherwise confers a benefit to a subject, e.g., anti-cancer effects or improvement in transplant survivability or induction of an immune response. By the terms "treat," "treating" or "treatment of (and grammatical variations thereof) it is meant that the severity of the subject’s condition is reduced, at least partially improved or stabilized and/or that some alleviation, mitigation, decrease or stabilization in at least one clinical symptom is achieved and/or there is a delay in the progression of the disease or disorder.

By "substantially retain" a property and/or to maintain a property "substantially the same" as a comparison (e.g., a control), it is meant that at least about 75%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99% or 100% of the property (e.g., activity or other measurable characteristic) is retained.

The terms "prevent," "preventing" and "prevention" (and grammatical variations thereol) refer to prevention and/or delay of the onset of a disease, disorder and/or a clinical symptom(s) in a subject and/or a reduction in the severity of the onset of the disease, disorder and/or clinical symptom(s) relative to what would occur in the absence of the methods of the invention. The prevention can be complete, e.g., the total absence of the disease, disorder and/or clinical symptom(s). The prevention can also be partial, such that the occurrence of the disease, disorder and/or clinical symptom(s) in the subject and/or the severity of onset are substantially less than what would occur in the absence of the present invention.

A "treatment effective" or "effective" amount as used herein is an amount that is sufficient to provide some improvement or benefit to the subject. Alternatively stated, a "treatment effective" or "effective" amount is an amount that will provide some alleviation, mitigation, decrease or stabilization in at least one clinical symptom in the subject. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the therapeutic effects need not be complete or curative, as long as some benefit is provided to the subject.

A "prevention effective" amount as used herein is an amount that is sufficient to prevent and/or delay the onset of a disease, disorder and/or clinical symptoms in a subject and/or to reduce and/or delay the severity of the onset of a disease, disorder and/or clinical symptoms in a subject relative to what would occur in the absence of the methods of the invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the level of prevention need not be complete, as long as some preventative benefit is provided to the subject.

The terms "nucleotide sequence of interest (NOI)," "heterologous nucleotide sequence" and "heterologous nucleic acid molecule" are used interchangeably herein and refer to a nucleic acid sequence that is not naturally occurring (e.g., engineered). Generally, the NOI, heterologous nucleic acid molecule or heterologous nucleotide sequence comprises an open reading frame that encodes a polypeptide and/or nontranslated RNA of interest (e.g., for delivery to a cell and/or subject).

As used herein, the terms "virus vector," "vector" or "gene delivery vector" refer to a virus (e.g., AAV) particle that functions as a nucleic acid delivery vehicle, and which comprises a viral genome (e.g., viral DNA [vDNA]) and/or replicon nucleic acid molecule packaged within a virus particle. Alternatively, in some contexts, the term "vector" may be used to refer to the vector genome/vDNA alone.

The term "vector," as used herein, means any nucleic acid entity capable of amplification in a host cell. Thus, the vector may be an autonomously replicating vector, i.e., a vector, which exists as an extrachromosomal entity, the replication of which is independent of chromosomal replication, e.g., a plasmid. Alternatively, the vector may be one which, when introduced into a host cell, is integrated into the host cell genome and replicated together with the chromosome(s) into which it has been integrated. The choice of vector will often depend on the host cell into which it is to be introduced. Vectors include, but are not limited to plasmid vectors, phage vectors, viruses or cosmid vectors. Vectors usually contain a replication origin and at least one selectable gene, i.e., a gene which encodes a product which is readily detectable or the presence of which is essential for cell growth

A "rAAV vector genome" or "rAAV genome" is an AAV genome (i.e., vDNA) that comprises at least one terminal repeat (e.g., two terminal repeats) and one or more heterologous nucleotide sequences. rAAV vectors generally require only the 145 base terminal repeat(s) (TR(s)) in cis to generate virus. All other viral sequences are dispensable and may be supplied in trans (Muzyczka, (1992) Curr. Topics Microbiol. Immunol.

158:97). Typically, the rAAV vector genome will only retain the minimal TR sequence(s) so as to maximize the size of the transgene that can be efficiently packaged by the vector. The structural and non-structural protein coding sequences may be provided in trans (e.g., from a vector, such as a plasmid, or by stably integrating the sequences into a packaging cell). The rAAV vector genome optionally comprises two AAV TRs, which generally will be at the 5’ and 3’ ends of the heterologous nucleotide sequence(s), but need not be contiguous thereto. The TRs can be the same or different from each other.

A "rAAV particle" comprises a rAAV vector genome packaged within an AAV capsid.

The term "terminal repeat" or "TR" or "inverted terminal repeat (ITR)" includes any viral terminal repeat or synthetic sequence that forms a hairpin structure and functions as an inverted terminal repeat (i.e., mediates the desired functions such as replication, virus packaging, integration and/or provirus rescue, and the like). The TR can be an AAV TR or a non- AAV TR. For example, a non-AAV TR sequence such as those of other parvoviruses (e.g., canine parvovirus (CPV), mouse parvovirus (MVM), human parvovirus B-19) or any other suitable virus sequence (e.g., the SV40 hairpin that serves as the origin of SV40 replication) can be used as a TR, which can further be modified by truncation, substitution, deletion, insertion and/or addition. Further, the TR can be partially or completely synthetic, such as the "double-D sequence" as described in United States Patent No. 5,478,745 to Samulski etal, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

An "AAV terminal repeat" or "AAV TR" may be from any AAV, including but not limited to serotypes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 or any other AAV now known or later discovered (see, e.g., Table 1). An AAV terminal repeat need not have the native terminal repeat sequence (e.g., a native AAV TR sequence may be altered by insertion, deletion, truncation and/or missense mutations), as long as the terminal repeat mediates the desired functions, e.g., replication, virus packaging, integration, and/or provirus rescue, and the like.

AAV proteins VP1, VP2 and VP3 are capsid proteins that interact together to form an AAV capsid of an icosahedral symmetry. VP1.5 is an AAV capsid protein described in US Publication No. 2014/0037585, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety

The virus vectors of the invention can further be "targeted" virus vectors (e.g., having a directed tropism) and/or a "hybrid" parvovirus (i.e., in which the viral TRs and viral capsid are from different parvoviruses) as described in international patent publication WO 00/28004 and Chao et ak, (2000 ) Molecular Therapy 2:619, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The virus vectors of the invention can further be duplexed parvovirus particles as described in international patent publication WO 01/92551 (the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety). Thus, in some embodiments, double stranded (duplex) genomes can be packaged into the virus capsids of the invention.

Further, the viral capsid or genomic elements can contain other modifications, including insertions, deletions and/or substitutions.

A "chimeric" capsid protein and/or "chimeric" or "modified" capsid as used herein means an AAV capsid protein or capsid that has been modified by substitutions in one or more (e.g., 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, etc.) amino acid residues in the amino acid sequence of a capsid protein relative to wild type, as well as insertions and/or deletions of one or more (e.g., 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, etc.) amino acid residues in the amino acid sequence relative to wild type. In some embodiments, complete or partial domains, functional regions, epitopes, etc., from one AAV serotype can replace the corresponding wildtype domain, functional region, epitope, etc. of a different AAV serotype, in any combination, to produce a chimeric capsid protein or modified capsid of this invention. Production of a chimeric capsid protein or modified capsid can be carried out according to protocols well known in the art and a large number of chimeric capsid proteins are described in the literature as well as herein that can be included in the capsid of this invention.

As used herein, the term "amino acid" or "amino acid residue" encompasses any naturally occurring amino acid, modified forms thereof, and synthetic amino acids.

Naturally occurring, levorotatory (L-) amino acids are shown in Table 2.

Conservative amino acid substitutions are known in the art. In particular embodiments, a conservative amino acid substitution includes substitutions within one or more of the following groups: glycine, alanine; valine, isoleucine, leucine; aspartic acid, glutamic acid; asparagine, glutamine; serine, threonine; lysine, arginine; and/or phenylalanine, tyrosine.

Alternatively, the amino acid can be a modified amino acid residue (nonlimiting examples are shown in Table 3) and/or can be an amino acid that is modified by posttranslation modification (e.g., acetylation, amidation, formylation, hydroxylation, methylation, phosphorylation or sulfatation).

Further, the non-naturally occurring amino acid can be an "unnatural" amino acid as described by Wang et al. ,Annu Rev Biophys Biomol Struct. 35:225-49 (2006)). These unnatural amino acids can advantageously be used to chemically link molecules of interest to the AAV capsid protein.

The term "self-similar" or "self-similarity" as used herein refers to the property of an entity (e.g., a capsid protein, a nucleic acid sequence, an amino acid sequence, a protein domain, a particle, etc.) wherein the whole has the same or highly similar shape as one or more of the parts. Self-similarity is a property of fractals, which by definition are objects which appear the same at different scales. The property of self-similarity is also known as expanding symmetry or unfolding symmetry. Self-similarity is ubiquitous in the nature. For example, many proteins present self-similar properties and/or have fractal structural properties, which can result in a high surface area to volume ratio and can provide functional advantages such as, but not limited to, molecular trap mechanisms and adhesion mechanisms.

As used herein, the term "nested" refers to entities such as nucleic acid and/or amino acid sequence segments placed one inside the other, rather than placed sequentially one after the other. For example, an insertion of multiple nested sequences or multiple nested copies of a sequence would comprise each sequence or copy inserted at the mid-point position of the previous sequence/copy, rather than sequentially following the previous sequence/copy, e.g., three representative sequences of AA, BB, and CC could be nested as ABCCBA, ACBBCA, BCAACB, BACCAB, CABBAC, or CBAABC, rather than sequentially (AABBCC, AACCBB, BBCCAA, BBAACC, CCAABB, CCBBAA).

In the present invention, the concept of self-similarity is used to endow AAV5 capsid proteins with enhanced affinity to some tissues, e.g., the heart. In the invention, for example, AAV5 capsids may be modified by inserting self-similar sequences, which may improve the modified vector’s infectivity into heart tissue.

Compositions of the invention

The invention, in part, relates to compositions and methods of using a modified chimeric AAV5 capsid in the treatment of disorders of the heart.

AAV is a small (25 -nm), nonenveloped virus that packages a linear single-stranded DNA genome. AAV can infect both dividing and quiescent cells and persist in an extrachromosomal state without integrating into the genome of the host cell, although in the native virus some integration of virally carried genes into the host genome does occur.

The present invention relates to the design of a chimeric adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsid with improved infectivity in vitro and in vivo and enhanced heart tissue tropism as compared to established AAV gene therapy. In particular, the present invention provides a chimeric AAV5 capsid with improved infectivity in vitro and in vivo and enhanced heart tropism.

Thus, one aspect of the present invention provides a chimeric adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsid of a first serotype comprising the following: a) a VP1 capsid protein of a second AAV serotype that is different from or the same as said first AAV serotype; b) a VP2 capsid protein of a third AAV serotype that is different from or the same as said first and/or second AAV serotype; and c) a VP3 capsid protein of a fourth AAV serotype that is different from or the same as said first, second, and/or third AAV serotype comprising an insertion in the VP3 variable region (VR)-VIII region of one or more VP3 VR sequence from one or more fifth AAV serotype, that is different from or the same as said first, second, third, and/or fourth AAV serotype; wherein the chimeric AAV capsid has enhanced heart tropism as compared to the heart tropism of a corresponding wildtype AAV capsid of the first serotype.

The insertion may be of any length which, when inserted into the VP3 VR-VIII region of a VP3 capsid protein of a fourth AAV serotype, retains functionality of said VP3. In some embodiments, the insertion may of a length of about 1 to about 100 amino acid residues or longer, e.g., a length of about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65,

70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, or 100 amino acid residues or more, or any value or range therein. For example, in some embodiments, the insertion may be of about 1 to about 100 amino acid residues, about 10 to about 120 amino acid residues, about 5 to about 150 amino acid residues, about 14 to about 35 amino acid residues, or about 10 amino acid residues, about 14 amino acid residues, about 65 amino acid residues, about 100 amino acid residues, about 73 amino acid residues, or about 150 amino acid residues.

In some embodiments, the insertion may be a self-similar insertion, e.g., wherein the nucleotide sequence and/or the amino acid sequence has the property of comprising multiple repetitive and/or similar short sequences with similar physiochemical properties such as, but not limited to, hydrophibcity. In some embodiments, the insertion may be a self-similar insertion based on similar nucleotide sequence and/or the amino acid sequences inserted in such a way as to generate an extended (potentially infinite) loop (e.g., an "infinite-loop" insertion). The infinite loop feature may lead to the property of comprising multiple repetitive and/or similar short sequences with similar physiochemical properties such as, but not limited to, hydrophibcity, wherein the insertion physically extends from the rest of the structure of the capsid protein (e.g., as modeled in FIGS. 13A and 13B).

In some embodiments, the insertion in the VP3 VR-VIII region may be following the amino acid residue corresponding to Q574 in SEQ ID NO:l.

In some embodiments, the enhanced heart tropism of a chimeric AAV capsid of the present invention may be enhanced about 5.0 fold or higher, e.g., about 5, 5.5, 6, 6.5, 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9, 9.5, 10, 10.5, 11, 11.5, 12, 12.5, 13, 13.5, 14, 14.5, 15, 15.5, 16, 16.5, 17, 17.5, 18, 18.5, 19, 19.5, or 20-fold or higher, or any value or range therein as compared to the heart tropism of a corresponding wildtype AAV capsid. For example, in some embodiments, a chimeric AAV capsid of the present invention may have about 5 fold to about 10 fold, about 6 fold to about 25 fold, about 5.5 fold to about 18.5 fold, or about 7.5 fold to about 20 fold enhanced heart tropism as compared to the heart tropism of a corresponding AAV capsid, or about 5 fold, about 9.5 fold, about 10 fold, about 17 fold, about 20 fold, about 25 fold enhanced heart tropism as compared to the heart tropism of a corresponding AAV capsid.

In some embodiments, a chimeric AAV capsid of the present invention may have reduced liver tropism (i.e., is liver detargeted) as compared to the liver tropism of a corresponding wildtype AAV capsid of the first serotype. In some embodiments, the reduced liver tropism (liver detargeting) of a chimeric AAV capsid of the present invention may be about 50% of less (e.g., about 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, or 10% or less or any value or range therein) as compared to the liver tropism of a corresponding wildtype AAV capsid of the first serotype. For example, in some embodiments, a chimeric AAV capsid of the present invention may have about 50% to about 10%, about 40% to about 20%, about 50% to about 5%, about 45% to about 1%, or about 50%, about 30%, about 10%, about 5%, or about 1% or less liver tropism as compared to the liver tropism of a corresponding wildtype AAV capsid of the first serotype.

In some embodiments, a chimeric AAV capsid of the present invention may have low tropism in one or more of a gastrocnemius muscle (GAS), lung, intestine, kidney, spleen, and/or pancreas, as compared to the heart. In some embodiments, the low tropism in one or more of GAS, lung, intestine, kidney, spleen, and/or pancreas of a chimeric AAV capsid of the present invention may be the same or substantially similar to (e.g., retained from) the low tropism in one or more of gastrocnemius muscle (GAS), lung, intestine, kidney, spleen, and/or pancreas of the corresponding wildtype AAV capsid of the first serotype.

The first, second, third, fourth, and/or fifth AAV serotypes of the present invention may be any AAV serotype now known or later discovered, including but not limited to, AAV type 1, AAV type 2, AAV type 3 (including types 3 A and 3B), AAV type 4, AAV type 5, AAV type 6, AAV type 7, AAV type 8, AAV type 9, AAV type 10, AAV type 11, AAV type 12, AAV type 13, avian AAV, bovine AAV, canine AAV, equine AAV, ovine AAV, and those of Table 1.

In some embodiments, the second AAV serotype and the third AAV serotype may be the same. In some embodiments, the second AAV serotype and the third AAV serotype may be different. In some embodiments, the fourth AAV serotype may be the same AAV serotype as the second and/or the third AAV serotype. In some embodiments, the fourth AAV serotype may be different from the second and the third AAV serotype. In some embodiments, the first AAV serotype may be different from the second, third, and/or fourth AAV serotype. In some embodiments, the first AAV serotype may be different from the second, third, and/or fourth AAV serotype. In some embodiments, the fifth AAV serotype may be the same as or different from the first, second, third, and/or fourth AAV serotype, and may comprise more than one AAV serotype.

In some embodiments, the first, second, third, and/or fourth AAV serotype may be AAV5, AAV9, and/or AAVrhlO. In some embodiments, the second and third AAV serotypes may be AAV9. In some embodiments, the first AAV serotype may be AAV5, AAV9, or AAVrhlO.

Similarly, the one or more VP3 VR sequence from one or more fifth AAV serotype may be from any AAV serotype now known or later discovered, including but not limited to, AAV type 1, AAV type 2, AAV type 3 (including types 3 A and 3B), AAV type 4, AAV type 5, AAV type 6, AAV type 7, AAV type 8, AAV type 9, AAV type 10, AAV type 11, AAV type 12, AAV type 13, avian AAV, bovine AAV, canine AAV, equine AAV, ovine AAV, and those of Table 1. In some embodiments, the one or more VP3 VR sequence from one or more fifth AAV serotype may be from an AAV5 and/or an AAV9 serotype.

In some embodiments, the insertion may be of one or more (e.g., two or more, three or more, four or more, five or more, six or more, seven or more, eight or more, nine or more, ten or more, etc.) VP3 VR sequence(s) from one or more (e.g., two or more, three or more, four or more, five or more, six or more, seven or more, eight or more, nine or more, ten or more, etc.) fifth AAV serotype(s), that is different from or the same as said first, second, third, and/or fourth AAV serotype. For example, in some embodiments, the insertion may be of one VP3 VR sequence of one (fifth) AAV serotype; two VP3 VR sequences of one or two (fifth) AAV serotype(s); three VP3 VR sequences of one, two, or three (fifth) (fifth) AAV serotype(s); four VP3 VR sequences of one, two, three, or four (fifth) AAV serotype(s); five VP3 VR sequences of one, two, three, or four (fifth) AAV serotype(s); six VP3 VR sequences of one, two, three, four, five, or six (fifth) AAV serotype(s); seven VP3 VR sequences of one, two, three, four, five, six, or seven (fifth) AAV serotype(s); eight VP3 VR sequences of one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, or eight (fifth) AAV serotype(s); or nine VP3 VR sequences of one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine (fifth) AAV serotype(s), or more. In some embodiments, the inserted one or more VP3 VR sequence from one or more fifth AAV serotype may be a VP3 VR-I, VR-II, VR-III, VR-IV, VR-V, VR-VI, VR-VII, VR- VIII, and/or VR-IX.

In some embodiments, the one or more VP3 VR sequence from one or more fifth AAV serotype may comprise, consist essentially of, or consist of an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical (e.g., at least 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical) to the amino acid sequence of any one of QSAQAQA (AAV9 VR-VIII), NSTSGGSS (AAV9 VR-I), and NNQSSTT (AAV5 VR-VIII) (SEQ ID NO:62-64).

SEP ID NO:62. AAV9 VR-VIII QSAQAQA

SEP ID NO:63. AAV9 VR-I

NSTSGGSS

SEP ID NP:64. AAV5 VR-VIII

NNQSSTT

In some embodiments, the one or more VP3 VR sequence from one or more fifth AAV serotype comprises two or more (at least two, at least three, at least four, at least five, at least six, at least seven, at least eight, at least nine, etc.) VP3 VR sequence from one or more fifth AAV serotype.

In some embodiments, the two or more VP3 VR sequences are nested within each other to form a hydrophilic tertiary structure. In some embodiments, the hydrophilic structure of the insertion of nested two or more VP3 VR sequences forms a domain which may be physically extended (sticks out) from the surface of the AAV capsid, and which may not substantially affect the tertiary structure and/or function of capsid in unmodified form (e.g., wherein the tertiary structure and/or function of the modified capsid remains the same or substantially the same as the tertiary structure and/or function of the unmodified capsid, other than the addition of the new domain). For example, in some embodiments, the chimeric capsid protein, when inserted with the one, two, or three or more VP3 VR sequences, may retain tertiary structure substantially the same, e.g., about 75%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99% or 100% of the tertiary structure and/or function of the capsid in unmodified form, or any value or range therein.

The variable region VR-VIII of AAV5 (NNQ⁵⁷⁴SSTT) comprises seven amino acid residues, all of which are hydrophilic and form a "high bump" which extends out from the surface of the AAV capsid, as represented in the model of FIG. 13A. The amino acid residue position Q574 (the midpoint of the VR-VIII sequence NNQ⁵⁷⁴SSTT; wherein the numbering corresponds to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1) is known to tolerate insertion of exogenous short sequences, whereas insertion in another position may generate AAV capsids that cannot successfully be packaged into an AAV vector. Without wishing to be bound to theory, the inventors of the present invention discovered that while insertion of sequential VR sequences are too long for successful insertion and generation of AAV vector formation, insertion of nested VR sequences at the VR-VIII midpoint position Q574 (i.e., immediately following amino acid residue position Q574) allowed for the generation of a hydrophilic tertiary structure domain which may be physically extended (sticking out) from the surface of the AAV capsid, and which may not substantially affect the tertiary structure of capsid in unmodified form (e.g., wherein the tertiary structure of the modified capsid remains the same or substantially the same as the tertiary structure of the unmodified capsid, other than the addition of the new domain), thereby allowing for successful insertion and successful packaging into AAV vector form. FIG. 13B shows images of the predicted models of the domain formed by example insertions of four, five, six, and nine nested copies of AAV5 VR- VIII sequences at amino acid residue position Q574 of AAV5 VP3 (wherein the numbering corresponds to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1).

In some embodiments, the one or more VP3 VR sequence from one or more fifth AAV serotype may comprise, consist essentially of, or consist of an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical (e.g., at least 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical) to the amino acid sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOs:65-76.

SEP ID NO:65. AAV591 insert (nested 3x AAV9 VR-VIII)

QSAQQSAQQSAQAQAAQAAQA

SEP ID NO:66. AAV592 insert (nested 3x AAV9 VR-VIII + lx AAV9 MM)

QSAQQSAQQSAQNSTSGGSSAQAAQAAQA

SEP ID NP:67. AAV593 insert (nested 3x AAV5 VR-VIII + lx AAV9 MM)

NNQNNQNNQNSTSGGSSSSTTSSTTSSTT

SEP ID NP:68. Nested 2x AAV9 VR-VIII

QSAQQSAQAQAAQA

SEP ID NP:69. Nested 2x AAV5 VR-VIII

NNQNNQSSTTSSTT

SEP ID NP:70. Nested 3x AAV5 VR-VIII

NNQNNQNNQS STTS STTS STT

SEP ID NP:71. Nested 4x AAV5’s VR-VIII

NNQNNQNNQNNQSSTTSSTTSSTTSSTT

In some embodiments, a chimeric VP3 AAV capsid protein of the present invention may comprise, consist essentially of, or consist of an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical (e.g., at least 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical) to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 11.

In some embodiments, a chimeric AAV capsid of the present invention may comprise, consist essentially of, or consist of an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical (e.g., at least 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical) to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:77.

In some embodiments, a chimeric VP3 AAV capsid protein of the present invention may comprise, consist essentially of, or consist of an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical (e.g., at least 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical) to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 13.

In some embodiments, a chimeric AAV capsid of the present invention may comprise, consist essentially of, or consist of an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical (e.g., at least 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical) to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:78.

In some embodiments, a chimeric VP3 AAV capsid protein of the present invention may comprise, consist essentially of, or consist of an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical (e.g., at least 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical) to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 15.

In some embodiments, a chimeric AAV capsid of the present invention may comprise, consist essentially of, or consist of an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical (e.g., at least 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical) to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:79.

In some embodiments, a chimeric VP3 AAV capsid protein of the present invention may comprise, consist essentially of, or consist of an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical (e.g., at least 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical) to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 80.

In some embodiments, a chimeric AAV capsid of the present invention may comprise, consist essentially of, or consist of an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical (e.g., at least 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical) to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:81.

In some embodiments, a chimeric VP3 AAV capsid protein of the present invention may comprise, consist essentially of, or consist of an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical (e.g., at least 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical) to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 82.

In some embodiments, a chimeric AAV capsid of the present invention may comprise, consist essentially of, or consist of an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical (e.g., at least 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical) to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 83.

In some embodiments, a chimeric VP3 AAV capsid protein of the present invention may comprise, consist essentially of, or consist of an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical (e.g., at least 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical) to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 84.

In some embodiments, a chimeric AAV capsid of the present invention may comprise, consist essentially of, or consist of an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical (e.g., at least 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical) to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 85.

In some embodiments, a chimeric VP3 AAV capsid protein of the present invention may comprise, consist essentially of, or consist of an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical (e.g., at least 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical) to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 86.

In some embodiments, a chimeric AAV capsid of the present invention may comprise, consist essentially of, or consist of an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical (e.g., at least 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% identical) to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 87.

It is to be understood that these examples are not intended to be limiting and any AAV serotypes can be combined with any other AAV serotypes, in any combination of first AAV serotype, second AAV serotype, third AAV serotype, fourth AAV serotype, and fifth AAV serotype.

Furthermore, the chimeric AAV capsid produced from the VP1, VP2, and VP3 of the respective AAV serotypes can be included in the methods and compositions of this invention in any combination and/or in any ratio relative to one another, as would be well understood to one of ordinary skill in the art.

The amino acid residue positions of the substitutions that can be made to produce the desired chimeric AAV capsid can be readily determined by one of ordinary skill in the art according to the teachings herein and according to protocols well known in the art. The amino acid residue numbering provided in the amino acid sequences set forth here is based on the reference sequences of AAV5 wild type VP1, VP2, and VP3 capsid protein amino acid sequences, as provided herein (SEQ ID NO:l (AAV5 VP1, VP2, and VP3; GenBank® Accession No. YP_068409.1), SEQ ID NO:2 (AAV5 VP1 and VP2), and SEQ ID NO:3 (AAV5 VP3). However it would be readily understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the equivalent amino acid positions in other AAV serotype sequences (e.g., including, but not limited to, the amino acid sequences of AAD27757.1 (AAV1), YP_068409.1 (AAV5), AAC03780.1 (AAV2), AAC58045.1 (AAV4), NP_043941.1 (AAV3), AAB95450.1 (AAV 6), YP_077178.1 (AAV7), YP_077180.1 (AAV8), AAS99264.1 (AAV9),

AAO88201.1 (AAVrhlO) and any serotype of Table 1) can be readily identified and employed in the production of the modified/chimeric AAV capsids of this invention.

It would be understood that the modifications described above provide multiple examples of how the amino acid sequences described herein can be obtained and that, due to the degeneracy of the amino acid codons, numerous other modifications can be made to a nucleotide sequence encoding a capsid or fragment thereof (e.g., VP1, VP2, and/or VP3) to obtain the desired amino acid sequence. The present invention provides additional non limiting examples of nucleic acids and/or polypeptides of this invention that can be used in the compositions and methods described herein in the SEQUENCES section provided herein.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the amino acid sequences of the modified/chimeric AAV capsids and capsid proteins of the present invention (including, but not limited to, SEQ ID NOs:6-8, 11, 13, 15, and 77-87) can further be modified to incorporate other modifications as known in the art to impart desired properties. As nonlimiting possibilities, the capsid and/or capsid protein(s) can be modified to incorporate targeting sequences (e.g., clotting factors) or sequences that facilitate purification and/or detection. For example, the capsid and/or capsid protein(s) can be fused to all or a portion of glutathione-S-transferase, maltose-binding protein, a heparin/heparan sulfate binding domain, poly-His, a ligand, and/or a reporter protein (e.g., Green Fluorescent Protein, b- glucuronidase, b-galactosidase, luciferase, etc.), an immunoglobulin Fc fragment, a singlechain antibody, hemagglutinin, c-myc, FLAG epitope, and the like to form a fusion protein. Methods of inserting targeting peptides into an AAV capsid are known in the art (see. e.g., international patent publication WO 00/28004; Nicklin et cil, (2001 )Mol. Ther. 474-181; White et cil, (2004) Circulation 109:513

In some embodiments, a chimeric AAV capsid of the present invention may be covalently linked, bound to, or encapsidate a compound selected from the group consisting of a DNA molecule, an RNA molecule, a polypeptide, a carbohydrate, a lipid, a small organic molecule, and any combination thereof.

The invention also provides chimeric AAV capsids of the invention and virus particles (i.e., virions) comprising the same, wherein the virus particle packages (i.e., encapsidates) a vector genome, optionally an AAV vector genome. In particular embodiments, the invention provides an AAV particle comprising an AAV capsid comprising an AAV capsid protein of the invention, wherein the AAV capsid packages an AAV vector genome. The invention also provides an AAV particle comprising an AAV capsid or AAV capsid protein encoded by a modified nucleic acid capsid coding sequence(s) of the invention.

The chimeric capsid proteins and capsids can further comprise any other modification, now known or later identified. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that for some AAV capsids the corresponding modification(s) may be an insertion and/or a substitution, depending on whether the corresponding amino acid positions are partially or completely present in the virus or, alternatively, are completely absent. Likewise, when modifying AAV other than, for example, AAV5, the specific amino acid position(s) may be different than the position in AAV5. As discussed elsewhere herein, the corresponding amino acid position(s) will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art using well-known techniques.

Another aspect of the present invention provides an AAV particle comprising: a chimeric AAV capsid of the present invention; and an AAV vector genome; wherein the AAV capsid encapsidates the AAV vector genome. In some embodiments, the AAV vector genome may comprise a heterologous nucleic acid molecule. In some embodiments, the heterologous nucleic acid molecule may encode an antisense RNA, microRNA, or RNAi.

In particular embodiments, the virion is a recombinant vector comprising a heterologous nucleic acid (e.g., nucleic acid molecule of interest), e.g., for delivery to a cell. Thus, the present invention is useful for the delivery of nucleic acids to cells in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo. In representative embodiments, the recombinant vector of the invention can be advantageously employed to deliver or transfer nucleic acids to animal (e.g., mammalian) cells.

Heterologous molecules (e.g., nucleic acid, proteins, peptides, etc.) are defined as those that are not naturally found in an AAV infection, e.g., those not encoded by a wild-type AAV genome. Further, therapeutically useful molecules can be associated with a transgene for transfer of the molecules into host target cells. Such associated molecules can include DNA and/or RNA.

Any heterologous nucleotide sequence(s) may be delivered by a virus vector of the present invention. Nucleic acids of interest include nucleic acids encoding polypeptides, optionally therapeutic (e.g., for medical or veterinary uses) and/or immunogenic (e.g., for vaccines) polypeptides. In some embodiments, the heterologous nucleic acid molecule may encode a polypeptide. In some embodiments, the heterologous nucleic acid molecule may encode a therapeutic polypeptide.

Therapeutic polypeptides include, but are not limited to, cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator protein (CFTR), dystrophin (including the protein product of dystrophin mini-genes or micro-genes, see, e.g., Vincent et al., (1993) Nature Genetics 5:130; U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003017131; Wang et al., (2000) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97:13714-9 [mini-dystrophin]; Harper et al., (2002) Nature Med. 8:253-61 [microdystrophin]); mini-agrin, a laminin-a2, a sarcoglycan (a, b, g or d), Fukutin-related protein, myostatin pro-peptide, follistatin, dominant negative myostatin, an angiogenic factor (e.g., VEGF, angiopoietin-1 or 2), an anti-apoptotic factor (e.g., heme-oxygenase- 1, TGF-b, inhibitors of pro-apoptotic signals such as caspases, proteases, kinases, death receptors [e.g., CD-095], modulators of cytochrome C release, inhibitors of mitochondrial pore opening and swelling); activin type II soluble receptor, anti-inflammatory polypeptides such as the Ikappa B dominant mutant, sarcospan, utrophin, mini-utrophin, antibodies or antibody fragments against myostatin or myostatin propeptide, cell cycle modulators, Rho kinase modulators such as Cethrin, which is a modified bacterial C3 exoenzyme [available from BioAxone Therapeutics, Inc., Saint-Lauren, Quebec, Canada], BCL-xL, BCL2, XIAP, FLICEc-s, dominant-negative caspase-8, dominant negative caspase-9, SPI-6 (see, e.g., U.S. Patent Application No. 20070026076), transcriptional factor PGC-al, Pinch gene, ILK gene and thymosin b4 gene), clotting factors (e.g., Factor VIII, Factor IX, Factor X, etc.), erythropoietin, angiostatin, endostatin, catalase, tyrosine hydroxylase, an intracellular and/or extracellular superoxide dismutase, leptin, the LDL receptor, neprilysin, lipoprotein lipase, ornithine transcarbamylase, b-globin, a-globin, spectrin, ai-antitrypsin, methyl cytosine binding protein 2, adenosine deaminase, hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase, b- glucocerebrosidase, sphingomyelinase, lysosomal hexosaminidase A, branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase, RP65 protein, a cytokine (e.g., a-interferon, b-interferon, interferon-g, interleukins-1 through -14, granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor, lymphotoxin, and the like), peptide growth factors, neurotrophic factors and hormones (e.g., somatotropin, insulin, insulin-like growth factors including IGF-1 and IGF -2, GLP-1, platelet derived growth factor, epidermal growth factor, fibroblast growth factor, nerve growth factor, neurotrophic factor -3 and -4, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, glial derived growth factor, transforming growth factor -a and -b, and the like), bone morphogenic proteins (including RANKL and VEGF), a lysosomal protein, a glutamate receptor, a lymphokine, soluble CD4, an Fc receptor, a T cell receptor, ApoE, ApoC, inhibitor 1 of protein phosphatase inhibitor 1 (1-1), phospholamban, serca2a, lysosomal acid a-glucosidase, a-galactosidase A, Barkct, b2- adrenergic receptor, b2^G6hb¾ίo receptor kinase (BARK), phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3 kinase), calsarcin, a receptor (e.g., the tumor necrosis growth factor-a soluble receptor), an anti-inflammatory factor such as IRAP, Pim-1, PGC-Ia, SOD-1, SOD-2, ECF-SOD, kallikrein, thymosin^4, hypoxia-inducible transcription factor [HIF], an angiogenic factor, S100A1, parvalbumin, adenylyl cyclase type 6, a molecule that effects G-protein coupled receptor kinase type 2 knockdown such as a truncated constitutively active bARKct; phospholamban inhibitory or dominant-negative molecules such as phospholamban S16E, a monoclonal antibody (including single chain monoclonal antibodies) or a suicide gene product (e.g., thymidine kinase, cytosine deaminase, diphtheria toxin, and tumor necrosis factors such as TNF-a), and any other polypeptide that has a therapeutic effect in a subject in need thereof.

Heterologous nucleotide sequences encoding polypeptides include those encoding reporter polypeptides (e.g., an enzyme). Reporter polypeptides are known in the art and include, but are not limited to, a fluorescent protein (e.g., EGFP, GFP, RFP, BFP, YFP, or dsRED2), an enzyme that produces a detectable product, such as luciferase (e.g., from Gaussia, Renilla, or Photinus ), b-galactosidase, b-glucuronidase, alkaline phosphatase, and chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene, or proteins that can be directly detected. Virtually any protein can be directly detected by using, for example, specific antibodies to the protein. Additional markers (and associated antibiotics) that are suitable for either positive or negative selection of eukaryotic cells are disclosed in Sambrook and Russell (2001 ), Molecular Cloning, 3rd Ed., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., and Ausubel et al. (1992), Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, John Wiley & Sons, including periodic updates.

Alternatively, the heterologous nucleic acid may encode a functional RNA, e.g., an antisense oligonucleotide, a ribozyme (e.g., as described in U.S. Patent No. 5,877,022),

RNAs that effect spliceosome-mediated trans-splicing (see, Puttaraju et al., (1999) Nature Biotech. 17:246; U.S. Patent No. 6,013,487; U.S. Patent No. 6,083,702), interfering RNAs (RNAi) including small interfering RNAs (siRNA) that mediate gene silencing (see, Sharp et al., (2000) Science 287:2431), microRNA, or other non-translated "functional" RNAs, such as "guide" RNAs (Gorman et al., (1998) Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 95:4929; U.S. Patent No. 5,869,248 to Yuan et al.), and the like. Exemplary untranslated RNAs include RNAi or antisense RNA against the multiple drug resistance (MDR) gene product (e.g., to treat tumors and/or for administration to the heart to prevent damage by chemotherapy), RNAi or antisense RNA against myostatin (Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy), RNAi or antisense RNA against VEGF or a tumor immunogen including but not limited to those tumor immunogens specifically described herein (to treat tumors), RNAi or antisense oligonucleotides targeting mutated dystrophins (Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy), RNAi or antisense RNA against the hepatitis B surface antigen gene (to prevent and/or treat hepatitis B infection), RNAi or antisense RNA against the HIV tat and/or rev genes (to prevent and/or treat HIV) and/or RNAi or antisense RNA against any other immunogen from a pathogen (to protect a subject from the pathogen) or a defective gene product (to prevent or treat disease). RNAi or antisense RNA against the targets described above or any other target can also be employed as a research reagent.

As is known in the art, anti-sense nucleic acids (e.g., DNA or RNA) and inhibitory RNA (e.g., microRNA and RNAi such as siRNA or shRNA) sequences can be used to induce "exon skipping" in patients with muscular dystrophy arising from defects in the dystrophin gene. Thus, the heterologous nucleic acid can encode an antisense nucleic acid or inhibitory RNA that induces appropriate exon skipping. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the particular approach to exon skipping depends upon the nature of the underlying defect in the dystrophin gene, and numerous such strategies are known in the art. Exemplary antisense nucleic acids and inhibitory RNA sequences target the upstream branch point and/or downstream donor splice site and/or internal splicing enhancer sequence of one or more of the dystrophin exons (e.g., exons 19 or 23). For example, in particular embodiments, the heterologous nucleic acid encodes an antisense nucleic acid or inhibitory RNA directed against the upstream branch point and downstream splice donor site of exon 19 or 23 of the dystrophin gene. Such sequences can be incorporated into an AAV vector delivering a modified U7 snRNA and the antisense nucleic acid or inhibitory RNA (see, e.g., Goyenvalle et al., (2004) Science 306:1796-1799). As another strategy, a modified U1 snRNA can be incorporated into an AAV vector along with siRNA, microRNA or antisense RNA complementary to the upstream and downstream splice sites of a dystrophin exon (e.g., exon 19 or 23) (see, e.g., Denti et al., (2006) Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 103:3758-3763). Further, antisense nucleic acids and inhibitory RNA can target the splicing enhancer sequences within exons 19, 43, 45 or 53 (see, e.g., U.S. Patent No. 6,653,467; U.S. Patent No. 6,727,355; and U.S. Patent No. 6,653,466).

Ribozymes are RNA-protein complexes that cleave nucleic acids in a site-specific fashion. Ribozymes have specific catalytic domains that possess endonuclease activity (Kim et al., (1987) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84:8788; Gerlach et al., (1987) Nature 328:802; Forster and Symons, (1987) Cell 49:211). For example, a large number of ribozymes accelerate phosphoester transfer reactions with a high degree of specificity, often cleaving only one of several phosphoesters in an oligonucleotide substrate (Michel and Westhof,

(1990) J. Mol. Biol. 216:585; Reinhold-Hurek and Shub, (1992) Nature 357:173). This specificity has been attributed to the requirement that the substrate bind via specific basepairing interactions to the internal guide sequence ("IGS") of the ribozyme prior to chemical reaction.

Ribozyme catalysis has primarily been observed as part of sequence-specific cleavage/ligation reactions involving nucleic acids (Joyce, (1989) Nature 338:217). For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,354,855 reports that certain ribozymes can act as endonucleases with a sequence specificity greater than that of known ribonucleases and approaching that of the DNA restriction enzymes. Thus, sequence-specific ribozyme-mediated inhibition of nucleic acid expression may be particularly suited to therapeutic applications (Scanlon et al., (1991) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88:10591; Sarver et al., (1990) Science 247:1222; Sioud et al., (1992) J. Mol. Biol. 223:831).

MicroRNAs (mir) are natural cellular RNA molecules that can regulate the expression of multiple genes by controlling the stability of the mRNA. Over-expression or diminution of a particular microRNA can be used to treat a dysfunction and has been shown to be effective in a number of disease states and animal models of disease (see, e.g., Couzin, (2008) Science 319:1782-4). The chimeric AAV can be used to deliver microRNA into cells, tissues and subjects for the treatment of genetic and acquired diseases, or to enhance functionality and promote growth of certain tissues. For example, mir-1, mir-133, mir-206 and/or mir-208 can be used to treat cardiac and skeletal muscle disease (see, e.g., Chen et al., (2006) Genet. 38:228-33; van Rooij et al., (2008) Trends Genet. 24: 159-66). MicroRNA can also be used to modulate the immune system after gene delivery (Brown et al., (2007) Blood 110:4144- 52).

The term "antisense oligonucleotide" (including "antisense RNA") as used herein, refers to a nucleic acid that is complementary to and specifically hybridizes to a specified DNA or RNA sequence. Antisense oligonucleotides and nucleic acids that encode the same can be made in accordance with conventional techniques. See, e.g., U.S. Patent No.

5,023,243 to Tullis; U.S. Patent No. 5,149,797 to Pederson et al.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that it is not necessary that the antisense oligonucleotide be fully complementary to the target sequence as long as the degree of sequence similarity is sufficient for the antisense nucleotide sequence to specifically hybridize to its target (as defined above) and reduce production of the protein product (e.g., by at least about 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 95% or more).

To determine the specificity of hybridization, hybridization of such oligonucleotides to target sequences can be carried out under conditions of reduced stringency, medium stringency or even stringent conditions. Suitable conditions for achieving reduced, medium and stringent hybridization conditions are as described herein.

Alternatively stated, in particular embodiments, antisense oligonucleotides of the invention have at least about 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 95%, 97%, 98% or higher sequence identity with the complement of the target sequence and reduce production of the protein product (as defined above). In some embodiments, the antisense sequence contains 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 mismatches as compared with the target sequence. Methods of determining percent identity of nucleic acid sequences are described in more detail elsewhere herein.

The length of the antisense oligonucleotide is not critical as long as it specifically hybridizes to the intended target and reduces production of the protein product (as defined above) and can be determined in accordance with routine procedures. In general, the antisense oligonucleotide is at least about eight, ten or twelve or fifteen nucleotides in length and/or less than about 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 100 or 150 nucleotides in length. RNA interference (RNAi) is another useful approach for reducing production of a protein product (e.g., shRNA or siRNA). RNAi is a mechanism of post-transcriptional gene silencing in which double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) corresponding to a target sequence of interest is introduced into a cell or an organism, resulting in degradation of the corresponding mRNA. The mechanism by which RNAi achieves gene silencing has been reviewed in Sharp et al., (2001) Genes Dev 15: 485-490; and Hammond et al., (2001) Nature Rev. Gen. 2:110- 119). The RNAi effect persists for multiple cell divisions before gene expression is regained. RNAi is therefore a powerful method for making targeted knockouts or "knockdowns" at the RNA level. RNAi has proven successful in human cells, including human embryonic kidney and HeLa cells (see, e.g., Elbashir et al., Nature (2001) 411:494-8).

Initial attempts to use RNAi in mammalian cells resulted in antiviral defense mechanisms involving PKR in response to the dsRNA molecules (see, e.g., Gil et al., (2000) Apoptosis 5: 107). It has since been demonstrated that short synthetic dsRNA of about 21 nucleotides, known as "short interfering RNAs" (siRNA) can mediate silencing in mammalian cells without triggering the antiviral response (see, e.g., Elbashir et al., Nature (2001) 411:494-8; Caplen et al., (2001) Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 98:9742).

The RNAi molecule (including an siRNA molecule) can be a short hairpin RNA (shRNA; see Paddison et al., (2002), Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 99:1443-1448), which is believed to be processed in the cell by the action of the RNase III like enzyme Dicer into 20- 25mer siRNA molecules. The shRNAs generally have a stem-loop structure in which two inverted repeat sequences are separated by a short spacer sequence that loops out. There have been reports of shRNAs with loops ranging from 3 to 23 nucleotides in length. The loop sequence is generally not critical. Exemplary loop sequences include the following motifs: AUG, CCC, UUCG, CCACC, CTCGAG, AAGCUU, CCACACC and UUCAAGAGA.

The RNAi can further comprise a circular molecule comprising sense and antisense regions with two loop regions on either side to form a "dumbbell" shaped structure upon dsRNA formation between the sense and antisense regions. This molecule can be processed in vitro or in vivo to release the dsRNA portion, e.g., a siRNA.

International patent publication WO 01/77350 describes a vector for bi-directional transcription to generate both sense and antisense transcripts of a heterologous sequence in a eukaryotic cell. This technique can be employed to produce RNAi for use according to the invention.

Shinagawa et al. , (2003) Genes Dev. 17:1340 reported a method of expressing long dsRNAs from a CMV promoter (a pol II promoter), which method is also applicable to tissue specific pol II promoters. Likewise, the approach of Xia et al, (2002) Nature Biotech. 20:1006, avoids poly(A) tailing and can be used in connection with tissue-specific promoters.

Methods of generating RNAi include chemical synthesis, in vitro transcription, digestion of long dsRNA by Dicer (in vitro or in vivo), expression in vivo from a delivery vector, and expression in vivo from a PCR-derived RNAi expression cassette (see, e.g., TechNotes 10(3) "Five Ways to Produce siRNAs," from Ambion, Inc., Austin TX).

Guidelines for designing siRNA molecules are available (see e.g., literature from Ambion, Inc., Austin TX; available at www.ambion.com). In particular embodiments, the siRNA sequence has about 30-50% G/C content. Further, long stretches of greater than four T or A residues are generally avoided if RNA polymerase III is used to transcribe the RNA. Online siRNA target finders are available, e.g., from Ambion, Inc., through the Whitehead Institute of Biomedical Research or from Dharmacon Research, Inc.

The antisense region of the RNAi molecule can be completely complementary to the target sequence, but need not be as long as it specifically hybridizes to the target sequence (as defined above) and reduces production of the protein product (e.g., by at least about 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 95% or more). In some embodiments, hybridization of such oligonucleotides to target sequences can be carried out under conditions of reduced stringency, medium stringency or even stringent conditions, as defined above. In some embodiments, the antisense region contains 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 mismatches as compared with the target sequence. Mismatches are generally tolerated better at the ends of the dsRNA than in the center portion.

In particular embodiments, the RNAi is formed by intermolecular complexing between two separate sense and antisense molecules. The RNAi comprises a ds region formed by the intermolecular basepairing between the two separate strands. In other embodiments, the RNAi comprises a ds region formed by intramolecular basepairing within a single nucleic acid molecule comprising both sense and antisense regions, typically as an inverted repeat (e.g., a shRNA or other stem loop structure, or a circular RNAi molecule).

The RNAi can further comprise a spacer region between the sense and antisense regions.

Generally, RNAi molecules are highly selective. If desired, those skilled in the art can readily eliminate candidate RNAi that are likely to interfere with expression of nucleic acids other than the target by searching relevant databases to identify RNAi sequences that do not have substantial sequence homology with other known sequences, for example, using BLAST (available atncbi.nlm.nih.gov/BLAST). Kits for the production of RNAi are commercially available, e.g., from New England Biolabs, Inc. and Ambion, Inc. The recombinant virus vector may also comprise a heterologous nucleotide sequence that shares homology with and recombines with a locus on the host chromosome. This approach may be utilized to correct a genetic defect in the host cell.

The present invention also provides recombinant virus vectors that express an immunogenic polypeptide, e.g., for vaccination. The heterologous nucleic acid may encode any immunogen of interest known in the art including, but are not limited to, immunogens from human immunodeficiency virus, influenza virus, gag proteins, tumor antigens, cancer antigens, bacterial antigens, viral antigens, and the like. Alternatively, the immunogen can be presented in the virus capsid (e.g., incorporated therein) or tethered to the virus capsid (e.g., by covalent modification).

The use of parvoviruses as vaccines is known in the art (see, e.g., Miyamura et ak, (1994) Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 91:8507; U.S. Patent No. 5,916,563 to Young et ak, 5,905,040 to Mazzara et ak, U.S. Patent No. 5,882,652, U.S. Patent No. 5,863,541 to Samulski et ak; the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entireties by reference). The antigen may be presented in the virus capsid. Alternatively, the antigen may be expressed from a heterologous nucleic acid introduced into a recombinant vector genome.

An immunogenic polypeptide, or immunogen, may be any polypeptide suitable for protecting the subject against a disease, including but not limited to microbial, bacterial, protozoal, parasitic, fungal and viral diseases. For example, the immunogen may be an orthomyxovirus immunogen (e.g., an influenza virus immunogen, such as the influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) surface protein or the influenza virus nucleoprotein gene, or an equine influenza virus immunogen), or a lentivirus immunogen (e.g., an equine infectious anemia virus immunogen, a Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) immunogen, or a Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) immunogen, such as the HIV or SIV envelope GP160 protein, the HIV or SIV matrix/capsid proteins, and the HIV or SIV gag, pol and env genes products). The immunogen may also be an arenavirus immunogen (e.g., Lassa fever virus immunogen, such as the Lassa fever virus nucleocapsid protein gene and the Lassa fever envelope glycoprotein gene), a poxvirus immunogen (e.g., vaccinia, such as the vaccinia LI or L8 genes), a flavivirus immunogen (e.g., a yellow fever virus immunogen or a Japanese encephalitis virus immunogen), a filovirus immunogen (e.g., an Ebola virus immunogen, or a Marburg virus immunogen, such as NP and GP genes), a bunyavirus immunogen (e.g.,

RVFV, CCHF, and SFS viruses), or a coronavirus immunogen (e.g., an infectious human coronavirus immunogen, such as the human coronavirus envelope glycoprotein gene, or a porcine transmissible gastroenteritis virus immunogen, or an avian infectious bronchitis virus immunogen, or a severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) immunogen such as a S [SI or S2], M, E, or N protein or an immunogenic fragment thereof). The immunogen may further be a polio immunogen, herpes immunogen (e.g., CMV, EBV, HSV immunogens) mumps immunogen, measles immunogen, rubella immunogen, diphtheria toxin or other diphtheria immunogen, pertussis antigen, hepatitis (e.g., hepatitis A, hepatitis B or hepatitis C) immunogen, or any other vaccine immunogen known in the art.

Alternatively, the immunogen may be any tumor or cancer cell antigen. Optionally, the tumor or cancer antigen is expressed on the surface of the cancer cell. Exemplary cancer and tumor cell antigens are described in S.A. Rosenberg, (1999) Immunity 10:281). Illustrative cancer and tumor antigens include, but are not limited to: BRCA1 gene product, BRCA2 gene product, gplOO, tyrosinase, GAGE-1/2, BAGE, RAGE, NY-ESO-1, CDK-4, □- catenin, MUM-1, Caspase-8, KIAA0205, HPVE, SART-1, PRAME, pl5, melanoma tumor antigens (Kawakami et ak, (1994) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91:3515; Kawakami et al., (1994) J. Exp. Med., 180:347; Kawakami et ak, (1994) Cancer Res. 54:3124) including MART-1 (Coulie et ak, (1991) J. Exp. Med. 180:35), gplOO (Wick et ak, (1988) J. Cutan. Pathol. 4:201) and MAGE antigen (MAGE-1, MAGE-2 and MAGE-3) (Van der Bruggen et ak, (1991) Science, 254:1643), CEA, TRP-1; TRP-2; P-15 and tyrosinase (Brichard et ak, (1993) J. Exp. Med. 178:489); HER-2/neu gene product (U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,603); CA 125; HE4; LK26; FB5 (endosialin); TAG 72; AFP; CA19-9; NSE; DU-PAN-2; CA50; Span-1; CA72-4; HCG; STN (sialyl Tn antigen); c-erbB-2 proteins; PSA; L-CanAg; estrogen receptor; milk fat globulin; p53 tumor suppressor protein (Levine, (1993) Ann. Rev.

Biochem. 62:623); mucin antigens (international patent publication WO 90/05142); telomerases; nuclear matrix proteins; prostatic acid phosphatase; papilloma virus antigens; and antigens associated with the following cancers: melanomas, adenocarcinoma, thymoma, sarcoma, lung cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's lymphoma, leukemias, uterine cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer, brain cancer, kidney cancer, stomach cancer, esophageal cancer, head and neck cancer and others (see, e.g., Rosenberg, (1996) Amur Rev. Med. 47:481-91).

The present invention further provides a composition, which can be a pharmaceutical formulation comprising the virus vector or AAV particle of this invention and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. Alternatively, the heterologous nucleotide sequence may encode any polypeptide that is desirably produced in a cell in vitro, ex vivo, or in vivo. For example, the virus vectors may be introduced into cultured cells and the expressed protein product isolated therefrom.

The present invention further provides a nucleic acid molecule encoding a chimeric AAV capsid of the present invention.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the heterologous nucleic acid(s) of interest may be operably associated with appropriate control sequences. For example, the heterologous nucleic acid may be operably associated with expression control elements, such as transcription/translation control signals, origins of replication, polyadenylation signals, internal ribosome entry sites (IRES), promoters, enhancers, and the like.

Those skilled in the art will further appreciate that a variety of promoter/enhancer elements may be used depending on the level and tissue-specific expression desired. The promoter/enhancer may be constitutive or inducible, depending on the pattern of expression desired. The promoter/enhancer may be native or foreign and can be a natural or a synthetic sequence. By foreign, it is intended that the transcriptional initiation region is not found in the wild-type host into which the transcriptional initiation region is introduced.

Promoter/enhancer elements can be native to the target cell or subject to be treated and/or native to the heterologous nucleic acid sequence. The promoter/enhancer element is generally chosen so that it will function in the target cell(s) of interest. In representative embodiments, the promoter/enhancer element is a mammalian promoter/enhancer element. The promoter/enhance element may be constitutive or inducible.

Inducible expression control elements are generally used in those applications in which it is desirable to provide regulation over expression of the heterologous nucleic acid sequence(s). Inducible promoters/enhancer elements for gene delivery can be tissue-specific or tissue-preferred promoter/enhancer elements, and include muscle specific or preferred (including cardiac, skeletal and/or smooth muscle), neural tissue specific or preferred (including brain-specific), eye (including retina-specific and cornea-specific), liver specific or preferred, bone marrow specific or preferred, pancreatic specific or preferred, spleen specific or preferred, and lung specific or preferred promoter/enhancer elements. In one embodiment, a CNS cell-specific or CNS cell-preferred promoter is used. Examples of neuron-specific or preferred promoters include, without limitation, neuronal-specific enolase, synapsin, and MeCP2. Examples of astrocyte-specific or preferred promoters include, without limitation, glial fibrillary acidic protein and S 1 OOb. Examples of ependymal cell-specific or preferred promoters include, without limitation, wdr!6, Foxjl, and LRP2. Examples of microglia- specific or preferred promoters include, without limitation, F4/80, CX3CR1, and CDllb. Examples of oligodendrocyte-specific or preferred promoters include, without limitation, myelin basic protein, cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase, proteolipid protein, Gtx, and SoxlO. Use of a CNS cell-specific or preferred promoter can increase the specificity achieved by the chimeric AAV vector by further limiting expression of the heterologous nucleic acid to the CNS. Other inducible promoter/enhancer elements include hormone- inducible and metal-inducible elements. Exemplary inducible promoters/enhancer elements include, but are not limited to, a Tet on/off element, a RU486-inducible promoter, an ecdysone-inducible promoter, a rapamycin-inducible promoter, and a metallothionein promoter.

In embodiments wherein the heterologous nucleic acid sequence(s) is transcribed and then translated in the target cells, specific initiation signals are generally employed for efficient translation of inserted protein coding sequences. These exogenous translational control sequences, which may include the ATG initiation codon and adjacent sequences, can be of a variety of origins, both natural and synthetic.

In other embodiments, nucleic acid sequences encoding a variant capsid or capsid protein of the invention have at least about 70%, 71%, 72%, 73%, 74%, 75%, 76%, 77%, 78%, 79%, 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98% or 99%, or higher sequence identity with a nucleic acid sequence encoding the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NOs:6-8, 11, 13, 15, and/or 77-87and optionally encode a variant capsid or capsid protein that substantially retains at least one property of the capsid or capsid protein of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NOs:6-8, 11, 13, 15, and/or 77-87.

As is known in the art, a number of different programs can be used to identify whether a nucleic acid or polypeptide has sequence identity to a known sequence. Percent identity as used herein means that a nucleic acid or fragment thereof shares a specified percent identity to another nucleic acid, when optimally aligned (with appropriate nucleotide insertions or deletions) with the other nucleic acid (or its complementary strand), using BLASTN. To determine percent identity between two different nucleic acids, the percent identity is to be determined using the BLASTN program "BLAST 2 sequences". This program is available for public use from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) over the Internet (Altschul et ak, (1997) Nucleic Acids Res. 25(17):3389-3402). The parameters to be used are whatever combination of the following yields the highest calculated percent identity (as calculated below) with the default parameters shown in parentheses: Program— blastn Matrix— 0 BLOSUM62 Reward for a match— 0 or 1 (1) Penalty for a mismatch— 0, -1, -2 or -3 (-2) Open gap penalty-0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 (5) Extension gap penalty— 0 or 1 (1) Gap x_dropoff-0 or 50 (50) Expect-10.

Percent identity or similarity when referring to polypeptides, indicates that the polypeptide in question exhibits a specified percent identity or similarity when compared with another protein or a portion thereof over the common lengths as determined using BLASTP. This program is also available for public use from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) over the Internet (Altschul et al., (1997) Nucleic Acids Res. 25(17):3389-3402). Percent identity or similarity for polypeptides is typically measured using sequence analysis software. See, e.g., the Sequence Analysis Software Package of the Genetics Computer Group, University of Wisconsin Biotechnology Center, 910 University Avenue, Madison, Wis. 53705. Protein analysis software matches similar sequences using measures of homology assigned to various substitutions, deletions and other modifications. Conservative substitutions typically include substitutions within the following groups: glycine, alanine; valine, isoleucine, leucine; aspartic acid, glutamic acid; asparagine, glutamine; serine, threonine; lysine, arginine; and phenylalanine, tyrosine.

The invention also provides chimeric AAV particles comprising an AAV capsid and an AAV genome, wherein the AAV genome "corresponds to" (i.e., encodes) the AAV capsid. Also provided are collections or libraries of such chimeric AAV particles, wherein the collection or library comprises 2 or more, 10 or more, 50 or more, 100 or more, 1000 or more, 10⁴ or more, 10⁵ or more, or 10⁶ or more distinct sequences.

The present invention further encompasses "empty" capsid particles (i.e., in the absence of a vector genome) comprising, consisting of, or consisting essentially of the chimeric AAV capsid proteins of the invention. The chimeric AAV capsids of the invention can be used as "capsid vehicles," as has been described in U.S. Patent No. 5,863,541. Molecules that can be covalently linked, bound to or packaged by the virus capsids and transferred into a cell include DNA, RNA, a lipid, a carbohydrate, a polypeptide, a small organic molecule, or combinations of the same. Further, molecules can be associated with (e.g., "tethered to") the outside of the virus capsid for transfer of the molecules into host target cells. In one embodiment of the invention the molecule is covalently linked (i.e., conjugated or chemically coupled) to the capsid proteins. Methods of covalently linking molecules are known by those skilled in the art.

The virus capsids of the invention also find use in raising antibodies against the novel capsid structures. As a further alternative, an exogenous amino acid sequence may be inserted into the virus capsid for antigen presentation to a cell, e.g., for administration to a subject to produce an immune response to the exogenous amino acid sequence.

The invention also provides nucleic acids (e.g., isolated nucleic acids) encoding the chimeric virus capsids and chimeric capsid proteins of the invention. Further provided are vectors comprising the nucleic acids, and cells (in vivo or in culture) comprising the nucleic acids and/or vectors of the invention. Such nucleic acids, vectors and cells can be used, for example, as reagents (e.g., helper constructs or packaging cells) for the production of virus vectors as described herein.

In some embodiments, a vector of the present invention may be a plasmid, phage, viral vector, bacterial artificial chromosome, or yeast artificial chromosome.

In some embodiments, a viral vector of the present invention may be an AAV vector, an adenovirus vector, a herpesvirus vector, a lentivirus vector, an alphavirus vector or a baculovirus vector (e.g., an AAV particle, an adenovirus particle, a herpesvirus particle, a lentivirus particle, an alphavirus particle, a baculovirus particle, etc.).

In some embodiments, the nucleic acid encoding the chimeric AAV capsid protein further comprises an AAV rep coding sequence. For example, the nucleic acid can be a helper construct for producing viral stocks.

In another aspect of the invention, the chimeric/modified AAV capsid and vectors of the invention are fully- or nearly fully-detargeted vectors that can be further modified to a desirable tropic profile for targeting of one or more peripheral organs or tissues.

The invention also provides packaging cells stably comprising a nucleic acid of the invention. For example, the nucleic acid can be stably incorporated into the genome of the cell or can be stably maintained in an episomal form (e.g., an "EBV based nuclear episome").

The nucleic acid can be incorporated into a delivery vector, such as a viral delivery vector. To illustrate, the nucleic acid of the invention can be packaged in an AAV particle, an adenovirus particle, a herpesvirus particle, a baculovirus particle, or any other suitable virus particle. Moreover, the nucleic acid can be operably associated with a promoter element. Promoter elements are described in more detail herein.

Further provided is a pharmaceutical formulation comprising a AAV particle, nucleic acid molecule, and/or the vector of the present invention in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

In some embodiments, the present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising a virus vector of the invention in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and, optionally, other medicinal agents, pharmaceutical agents, stabilizing agents, buffers, carriers, adjuvants, diluents, etc. For injection, the carrier will typically be a liquid. For other methods of administration, the carrier may be either solid or liquid. For inhalation administration, the carrier will be respirable, and will preferably be in solid or liquid particulate form.

By "pharmaceutically acceptable" it is meant a material that is not toxic or otherwise undesirable, i. e.. the material may be administered to a subject without causing any undesirable biological effects.

Methods of making the invention

The present invention further provides methods of producing the virus capsid and/or virus particles of the present invention. In some embodiments, the present invention provides a method of producing a recombinant AAV particle comprising an AAV capsid, the method comprising: providing/introducing into a cell in vitro with a nucleic acid molecule of the present invention, an AAV rep coding sequence, an AAV vector genome comprising a heterologous nucleic acid molecule, and helper functions for generating a productive AAV infection under conditions whereby assembly of the recombinant AAV particle comprising the AAV capsid and encapsidation of the AAV vector genome can occur. The template and AAV replication and capsid sequences are provided under conditions such that recombinant virus particles comprising the template packaged within the capsid are produced in the cell. The method can further comprise the step of collecting the virus particles from the cell.

Virus particles may be collected from the medium and/or by lysing the cells. Further provided herein is the AAV particle(s) produced by such a method.

The cell is typically a cell that is permissive for AAV viral replication. Any suitable cell known in the art may be employed, such as mammalian cells. Also suitable are transcomplementing packaging cell lines that provide functions deleted from a replication- defective helper virus, e.g., 293 cells or other Ela trans-complementing cells.

The AAV replication and capsid sequences may be provided by any method known in the art. Current protocols typically express the AAV rep/cap genes on a single plasmid. The AAV replication and packaging sequences need not be provided together, although it may be convenient to do so. The AAV rep and/or cap sequences may be provided by any viral or non- viral vector. For example, the rep/cap sequences may be provided by a hybrid adenovirus or herpesvirus vector (e.g., inserted into the Ela or E3 regions of a deleted adenovirus vector). EBV vectors may also be employed to express the AAV cap and rep genes. One advantage of this method is that EBV vectors are episomal, yet will maintain a high copy number throughout successive cell divisions (i.e., are stably integrated into the cell as extra-chromosomal elements, designated as an EBV based nuclear episome.

As a further alternative, the rep/cap sequences may be stably carried (episomal or integrated) within a cell.

Typically, the AAV rep/cap sequences will not be flanked by the AAV packaging sequences (e.g., AAV ITRs), to prevent rescue and/or packaging of these sequences.

The template (e.g., an rAAV vector genome) can be provided to the cell using any method known in the art. For example, the template may be supplied by a non-viral (e.g., plasmid) or viral vector. In particular embodiments, the template is supplied by a herpesvirus or adenovirus vector (e.g., inserted into the Ela or E3 regions of a deleted adenovirus). As another illustration, Palombo et ak, (1998) J. Virol. 72:5025, describe a baculovirus vector carrying a reporter gene flanked by the AAV ITRs. EBV vectors may also be employed to deliver the template, as described above with respect to the rep/cap genes.

In another representative embodiment, the template is provided by a replicating rAAV virus. In still other embodiments, an AAV provirus is stably integrated into the chromosome of the cell.

To obtain maximal virus titers, helper virus functions (e.g., adenovirus or herpesvirus) essential for a productive AAV infection are generally provided to the cell. Helper virus sequences necessary for AAV replication are known in the art. Typically, these sequences are provided by a helper adenovirus or herpesvirus vector. Alternatively, the adenovirus or herpesvirus sequences can be provided by another non-viral or viral vector, e.g., as a non- infectious adenovirus miniplasmid that carries all of the helper genes required for efficient AAV production as described by Ferrari et ak, (1997) Nature Med. 3:1295, and U.S. Patent Nos. 6,040,183 and 6,093,570.

Further, the helper virus functions may be provided by a packaging cell with the helper genes integrated in the chromosome or maintained as a stable extrachromosomal element. In representative embodiments, the helper virus sequences cannot be packaged into AAV virions, e.g., are not flanked by AAV ITRs.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that it may be advantageous to provide the AAV replication and capsid sequences and the helper virus sequences (e.g., adenovirus sequences) on a single helper construct. This helper construct may be a non-viral or viral construct, but is optionally a hybrid adenovirus or hybrid herpesvirus comprising the AAV rep/cap genes. In one particular embodiment, the AAV rep/cap sequences and the adenovirus helper sequences are supplied by a single adenovirus helper vector. This vector further contains the rAAV template. The AAV rep/cap sequences and/or the rAAV template may be inserted into a deleted region (e.g., the El a or E3 regions) of the adenovirus.

In a further embodiment, the AAV rep!cap sequences and the adenovirus helper sequences are supplied by a single adenovirus helper vector. The rAAV template is provided as a plasmid template.

In another illustrative embodiment, the AAV rep/cap sequences and adenovirus helper sequences are provided by a single adenovirus helper vector, and the rAAV template is integrated into the cell as a provirus. Alternatively, the rAAV template is provided by an EBV vector that is maintained within the cell as an extrachromosomal element (e.g., as a "EBV based nuclear episome," see Margolski, (1992) Curr. Top. Microbiol. Immun. 158:67).

In a further exemplary embodiment, the AAV rep/cap sequences and adenovirus helper sequences are provided by a single adenovirus helper. The rAAV template is provided as a separate replicating viral vector. For example, the rAAV template may be provided by a rAAV particle or a second recombinant adenovirus particle.

According to the foregoing methods, the hybrid adenovirus vector typically comprises the adenovirus 5' and 3' cis sequences sufficient for adenovirus replication and packaging (i.e., the adenovirus terminal repeats and PAC sequence). The AAV rep/cap sequences and, if present, the rAAV template are embedded in the adenovirus backbone and are flanked by the 5' and 3' cis sequences, so that these sequences may be packaged into adenovirus capsids. As described above, in representative embodiments, the adenovirus helper sequences and the AAV rep/cap sequences are not flanked by the AAV packaging sequences (e.g., the AAV ITRs), so that these sequences are not packaged into the AAV virions.

Herpesvirus may also be used as a helper virus in AAV packaging methods. Hybrid herpesviruses encoding the AAV rep protein(s) may advantageously facilitate for more scalable AAV vector production schemes. A hybrid herpes simplex virus type I (HSV-1) vector expressing the AAV -2 rep and cap genes has been described (Conway et ak, (1999) Gene Therapy 6:986 and WO 00/17377, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entireties).

As a further alternative, the virus vectors of the invention can be produced in insect cells using baculovirus vectors to deliver the rep/cap genes and rAAV template as described by Urabe et ak, (2002) Human Gene Therapy 13: 1935-43. Other methods of producing AAV use stably transformed packaging cells (see, e.g.. U.S. Patent No. 5,658,785).

AAV vector stocks free of contaminating helper virus may be obtained by any method known in the art. For example, AAV and helper virus may be readily differentiated based on size. AAV may also be separated away from helper virus based on affinity for a heparin substrate (Zolotukhin et ah, (1999) Gene Therapy 6:973). In representative embodiments, deleted replication-defective helper viruses are used so that any contaminating helper virus is not replication competent. As a further alternative, an adenovirus helper lacking late gene expression may be employed, as only adenovirus early gene expression is required to mediate packaging of AAV virus. Adenovirus mutants defective for late gene expression are known in the art (e.g., tslOOK and tsl49 adenovirus mutants).

The inventive packaging methods may be employed to produce high titer stocks of virus particles. In particular embodiments, the virus stock has a titer of at least about 105 transducing units (tu)/ml, at least about 106 tu/ml, at least about 107 tu/ml, at least about 108 tu/ml, at least about 109 tu/ml, or at least about 1010 tu/ml.

The novel capsid protein and capsid structures find use in raising antibodies, for example, for diagnostic or therapeutic uses or as a research reagent. Thus, the invention also provides antibodies against the novel capsid proteins and capsids of the invention.

The term "antibody" or "antibodies" as used herein refers to all types of immunoglobulins, including IgG, IgM, IgA, IgD, and IgE. The antibody can be monoclonal or polyclonal and can be of any species of origin, including (for example) mouse, rat, rabbit, horse, goat, sheep or human, or can be a chimeric antibody. See, e.g., Walker et aI.,MoI. Immunol. 26, 403-11 (1989). The antibodies can be recombinant monoclonal antibodies, for example, produced according to the methods disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,474,893 or U.S. Patent No. 4,816,567. The antibodies can also be chemically constructed, for example, according to the method disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,676,980.

Antibody fragments included within the scope of the present invention include, for example, Fab, F(ab')2, and Fc fragments, and the corresponding fragments obtained from antibodies other than IgG. Such fragments can be produced by known techniques. For example, F(ab')2 fragments can be produced by pepsin digestion of the antibody molecule, and Fab fragments can be generated by reducing the disulfide bridges of the F(ab')2 fragments. Alternatively, Fab expression libraries can be constructed to allow rapid and easy identification of monoclonal Fab fragments with the desired specificity (Huse et ak, (1989) Science 254, 1275-1281). Polyclonal antibodies can be produced by immunizing a suitable animal (e.g., rabbit, goat, etc.) with an antigen to which a monoclonal antibody to the target binds, collecting immune serum from the animal, and separating the polyclonal antibodies from the immune serum, in accordance with known procedures.

Monoclonal antibodies can be produced in a hybridoma cell line according to the technique of Kohler and Milstein, (1975) Nature 265, 495-97. For example, a solution containing the appropriate antigen can be injected into a mouse and, after a sufficient time, the mouse sacrificed and spleen cells obtained. The spleen cells are then immortalized by fusing them with myeloma cells or with lymphoma cells, typically in the presence of polyethylene glycol, to produce hybridoma cells. The hybridoma cells are then grown in a suitable medium and the supernatant screened for monoclonal antibodies having the desired specificity. Monoclonal Fab fragments can be produced in E. coli by recombinant techniques known to those skilled in the art. See, e.g., W. Huse, (1989) Science 246, 1275-81.

Antibodies specific to a target polypeptide can also be obtained by phage display techniques known in the art.

Various immunoassays can be used for screening to identify antibodies having the desired specificity. Numerous protocols for competitive binding or immunoradiometric assays using either polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies with established specificity are well known in the art. Such immunoassays typically involve the measurement of complex formation between an antigen and its specific antibody (e.g., antigen/antibody complex formation). A two-site, monoclonal-based immunoassay utilizing monoclonal antibodies reactive to two non-interfering epitopes can be used as well as a competitive binding assay.

Antibodies can be conjugated to a solid support (e.g., beads, plates, slides or wells formed from materials such as latex or polystyrene) in accordance with known techniques. Antibodies can likewise be directly or indirectly conjugated to detectable groups such as radiolabels (e.g., 35S, 1251, 1311), enzyme labels (e.g., horseradish peroxidase, alkaline phosphatase), and fluorescence labels (e.g., fluorescein) in accordance with known techniques. Determination of the formation of an antibody/antigen complex in the methods of this invention can be by detection of, for example, precipitation, agglutination, flocculation, radioactivity, color development or change, fluorescence, luminescence, etc., as is well known in the art.

Another aspect of the present invention provides an AAV particle produced by the methods described herein. Methods of using the invention

The present invention also relates to methods for delivering heterologous nucleotide sequences into preferred tissues (e.g., the heart). The virus vectors of the invention may be employed to deliver a nucleotide sequence of interest to a cell in vitro, e.g., to produce a polypeptide or nucleic acid in vitro or for ex vivo gene therapy. The vectors are additionally useful in a method of delivering a nucleotide sequence to a subject in need thereof, e.g., to express a therapeutic or immunogenic polypeptide or nucleic acid. In this manner, the polypeptide or nucleic acid may thus be produced in vivo in the subject. The subject may be in need of the polypeptide or nucleic acid because the subject has a deficiency of the polypeptide, or because the production of the polypeptide or nucleic acid in the subject may impart some therapeutic effect, as a method of treatment or otherwise, and as explained further below.

In particular embodiments, the vectors are useful to express a polypeptide or nucleic acid that provides a beneficial effect to the heart, e.g., to deliver therapeutic gene products and/or otherwise treat heart disorders such as, but not limited to, inherited cardiomyopathy (e.g., hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM), left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy (LVNC), etc.), heart failure, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarct, arrhythmia, pulmonary heart disease, congenital heart disease, donor heart for transplant, carditis, rheumatic heart disease, trauma-related heart damage, aging-related heart disease, or any combination thereof. Accordingly, the ability to target vectors to the heart may be particularly useful to treat diseases or disorders involving heart dysfunction.

Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention provides a method of delivering a nucleic acid molecule (e.g., a nucleic acid molecule of interest) to a cardiomyocyte, the method comprising contacting the cardiomyocyte with an AAV particle, nucleic acid molecule, vector, and/or pharmaceutical formulation of the present invention.

Further provided is a method of delivering a nucleic acid molecule (e.g., a nucleic acid molecule of interest) to a cardiomyocyte in a mammalian subject, the method comprising: administering an effective amount of an AAV particle, nucleic acid molecule, vector, and/or pharmaceutical formulation of the present invention to a mammalian subject, thereby delivering the nucleic acid molecule to a cardiomyocyte in the mammalian subject. In some embodiments, the mammalian subject is a human. A further aspect of the present invention provides a method of treating a disorder in a mammalian subject in need thereof, wherein the disorder is treatable by expressing a nucleic acid molecule encoding a therapeutic product in the heart of the subject, the method comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of an AAV particle, nucleic acid molecule, vector, and/or pharmaceutical formulation of the present invention to the mammalian subject under conditions whereby the nucleic acid molecule encoding the therapeutic product is expressed in the heart, thereby treating the disorder.

In some embodiments, the AAV particle may be delivered to the heart by an administration route including, but not limited to, intravenous injection, antegrade intracoronary injection, retrograde injection from coronary vein, intramyocardial injection, cardiac surgery with recirculating delivery, or any combination thereof.

In general, the virus vectors of the invention may be employed to deliver any foreign nucleic acid with a biological effect to treat or ameliorate the symptoms associated with any disorder related to gene expression. Further, the invention can be used to treat any disease state for which it is beneficial to deliver a therapeutic polypeptide.

Illustrative disease states include, but are not limited to: cystic fibrosis (cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator protein) and other diseases of the lung, hemophilia A (Factor VIII), hemophilia B (Factor IX), thalassemia (B-globin). anemia (erythropoietin) and other blood disorders, Alzheimer’s disease (GDF; neprilysin), multiple sclerosis (B-interferon), Parkinson’s disease (glial-cell line derived neurotrophic factor [GDNF]), Huntington’s disease (inhibitory RNA including without limitation RNAi such as siRNA or shRNA, antisense RNA or microRNA to remove repeats), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, epilepsy (galanin, neurotrophic factors), and other neurological disorders, cancer (endostatin, angiostatin, TRAIL, FAS-ligand, cytokines including interferons; inhibitory RNA including without limitation RNAi (such as siRNA or shRNA), antisense RNA and microRNA including inhibitory RNA against VEGF, the multiple drug resistance gene product or a cancer immunogen), diabetes mellitus (insulin, PGC- al, GLP-1, myostatin pro-peptide, glucose transporter 4), muscular dystrophies including Duchenne and Becker (e.g., dystrophin, mini-dystrophin, micro-dystrophin, insulin-like growth factor I, a sarcoglycan [e.g., a, b, g], Inhibitory RNA [e.g., RNAi, antisense RNA or microRNA] against myostatin or myostatin propeptide, laminin-alpha2, Fukutin-related protein, dominant negative myostatin, follistatin, activin type II soluble receptor, anti-inflammatory polypeptides such as the IkappaB dominant mutant, sarcospan, utrophin, mini-utrophin, inhibitory RNA [e.g., RNAi, antisense RNA or microRNA] against splice junctions in the dystrophin gene to induce exon skipping [see, e.g., WO/2003/095647], inhibitory RNA (e.g., RNAi, antisense RNA or micro RNA] against U7 snRNAs to induce exon skipping [see, e.g., WO/2006/021724], and antibodies or antibody fragments against myostatin or myostatin propeptide), Gaucher disease (glucocerebrosidase), Hurler’s disease (a-L-iduronidase), adenosine deaminase deficiency (adenosine deaminase), glycogen storage diseases (e.g., Fabry disease [a-galactosidase] and Pompe disease [lysosomal acid a-glucosidase]) and other metabolic defects including other lysosomal storage disorders and glycogen storage disorders, congenital emphysema (al -antitrypsin), Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome (hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase), Niemann-Pick disease (sphingomyelinase), Maple Syrup Urine Disease (branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase), retinal degenerative diseases (and other diseases of the eye and retina; e.g., PDGF, endostatin and/or angiostatin for macular degeneration), diseases of solid organs such as brain (including Parkinson's Disease [GDNF], astrocytomas [endostatin, angiostatin and/or RNAi against VEGF], glioblastomas [endostatin, angiostatin and/or RNAi against VEGF]), liver (RNAi such as siRNA or shRNA, microRNA or antisense RNA for hepatitis B and/or hepatitis C genes), kidney, heart including congestive heart failure or peripheral artery disease (PAD) (e.g., by delivering protein phosphatase inhibitor I [1-1], phospholamban, sarcoplasmic endoreticulum Ca²⁺- ATPase [serca2a], zinc finger proteins that regulate the phospholamban gene, Pim-1, PGC- la, SOD-1, SOD-2, ECF-SOD, kallikrein, thymosin-P4, hypoxia-inducible transcription factor [HIF], Parkct, P2-adrenergic receptor, P2-adrenergic receptor kinase [bAIIK], phosphoinositide-3 kinase [PI3 kinase], calsarcin, an angiogenic factor, S100A1, parvalbumin, adenylyl cyclase type 6, a molecule that effects G-protein coupled receptor kinase type 2 knockdown such as a truncated constitutively active bARKct, an inhibitory RNA [e.g., RNAi, antisense RNA or microRNA] against phospholamban; phospholamban inhibitory or dominant-negative molecules such as phospholamban S16E, etc.), arthritis (insulin-like growth factors), joint disorders (insulin-like growth factors), intimal hyperplasia (e.g., by delivering enos, inos), improve survival of heart transplants (superoxide dismutase), AIDS (soluble CD4), muscle wasting (insulin-like growth factor I, myostatin pro-peptide, an anti-apoptotic factor, follistatin), limb ischemia (VEGF, FGF, PGC-Ia, EC-SOD, HIF), kidney deficiency (erythropoietin), anemia (erythropoietin), arthritis (anti-inflammatory factors such as IRAP and TNFa soluble receptor), hepatitis (a-interferon), LDL receptor deficiency (LDL receptor), hyperammonemia (ornithine transcarbamylase), spinal cerebral ataxias including SCA1, SCA2 and SC A3, phenylketonuria (phenylalanine hydroxylase), autoimmune diseases, and the like. The invention can further be used following organ transplantation to increase the success of the transplant and/or to reduce the negative side effects of organ transplantation or adjunct therapies (e.g., by administering immunosuppressant agents or inhibitory nucleic acids to block cytokine production). As another example, bone morphogenic proteins (including RANKL and/or VEGF) can be administered with a bone allograft, for example, following a break or surgical removal in a cancer patient.

Exemplary lysosomal storage diseases that can be treated according to the present invention include without limitation: Hurler’s Syndrome (MPS IH), Scheie’s Syndrome (MPS IS), and Hurler-Scheie Syndrome (MPS IH/S) (a-L-iduronidase); Hunter’s Syndrome (MPS II) (iduronate sulfate sulfatase); Sanfilippo A Syndrome (MPS IIIA) (Heparan-S- sulfate sulfaminidase), Sanfilippo B Syndrome (MPS IIIB) (N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase), Sanfilippo C Syndrome (MPS IIIC) (Acetyl-CoA-glucosaminide N-acetyltransferase), Sanfilippo D Syndrome (MPS HID) (N-acetyl-glucosaminine-6-sulfate sulfatase); Morquio A disease (MPS IV A) (Galactosamine-6-sulfate sulfatase), Morquio B disease (MPS IV B) (b- Galactosidase); Maroteaux-lmay disease (MPS VI) (arylsulfatase B); Sly Syndrome (MPS VII) (b-glucuronidase); hyaluronidase deficiency (MPS IX) (hyaluronidase); sialidosis (mucolipidosis I), mucolipidosis II (I-Cell disease) (N-actylglucos-aminyl-1- phosphotransferase catalytic subunit), mucolipidosis III (pseudo-Hurler poly dystrophy) (N- acetylglucos-aminyl-1 -phosphotransferase; type IIIA [catalytic subunit] and type IIIC [substrate recognition subunit]); GM1 gangliosidosis (ganglioside b-galactosidase), GM2 gangliosidosis Type I (Tay-Sachs disease) (b-hexaminidase A), GM2 gangliosidosis type II (Sandhoff s disease) (b-hexosaminidase B); Niemann-Pick disease (Types A and B) (sphingomyelinase); Gaucher’s disease (glucocerebrosidase); Farber’s disease (ceraminidase); Fabry’s disease (a-galactosidase A); Krabbe’s disease (galactosylceramide b- galactosidase); metachromatic leukodystrophy (arylsulfatase A); lysosomal acid lipase deficiency including Wolman’s disease (lysosomal acid lipase); Batten disease (juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis) (lysosomal trans -membrane CLN3 protein) sialidosis (neuraminidase 1); galactosialidosis (Goldberg’s syndrome) (protective protein/ cathepsin A); a-mannosidosis (a-D-mannosidase); b-mannosidosis (b-D-mannosidosis); fucosidosis (a-D- fucosidase); aspartylglucosaminuria (N-Aspartylglucosaminidase); and sialuria (Na phosphate cotransporter).

Exemplary glycogen storage diseases that can be treated according to the present invention include, but are not limited to, Type la GSD (von Gierke disease) (glucose-e- phosphatase), Type lb GSD (glucose-6-phosphate translocase), Type Ic GSD (microsomal phosphate or pyrophosphate transporter), Type Id GSD (microsomal glucose transporter), Type II GSD including Pompe disease or infantile Type Ila GSD (lysosomal acid a- glucosidase) and Type lib (Danon) (lysosomal membrane protein-2), Type Ilia and Illb GSD (Debrancher enzyme; amyloglucosidase and oligoglucanotransferase), Type IV GSD (Andersen's disease) (branching enzyme), Type V GSD (McArdle disease) (muscle phosphorylase), Type VI GSD (Hers¹ disease) (liver phosphorylase), Type VII GSD (Tarui's disease) (phosphofructokinase), GSD Type VUI/IXa (X-bnked phosphorylase kinase), GSD Type IXb (Liver and muscle phosphorylase kinase), GSD Type IXc (liver phosphorylase kinase), GSD Type IXd (muscle phosphorylase kinase), GSD O (glycogen synthase), Fanconi-Bickel syndrome (glucose transporter-2), phosphoglucoisomerase deficiency, muscle phosphogly cerate kinase deficiency, phosphogly cerate mutase deficiency, fructose 1,6- diphosphatase deficiency, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase deficiency, and lactate dehydrogenase deficiency.

Nucleic acids and polypeptides that can be delivered to cardiac muscle include those that are beneficial in the treatment of damaged, degenerated or atrophied cardiac muscle and/or congenital cardiac defects. For example, angiogenic factors useful for facilitating vascularization in the treatment of heart disease include but are not limited to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), VEGF II, VEGF-B, VEGF-C, VEGF-D, VEGF-E, VEGF121, VEGF 138, VEGF145, VEGF 165, VEGF 189, VEGF206, hypoxia inducible factor la (HIF la), endothelial NO synthase (eNOS), iNOS, VEFGR-1 (Fltl), VEGFR-2 (KDR/Flkl), VEGFR-3 (Flt4), angiogenin, epidermal growth factor (EGF), angiopoietin, platelet-derived growth factor, angiogenic factor, transforming growth factor-a (TGF- a), transforming growth factor- b (TGF-b), vascular permeability factor (VPF), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a), interleukin-3 (IL-3), interleukin-8 (IL-8), platelet-derived endothelial growth factor (PD-EGF), granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), scatter factor (SF), pleitrophin, proliferin, follistatin, placental growth factor (PIGF), midkine, platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF), fractalkine, ICAM-1, angiopoietin- 1 and -2 (Angl and Ang2), Tie-2, neuropilin-1, ICAM-1, chemokines and cytokines that stimulate smooth muscle cell, monocyte, or leukocyte migration, anti-apoptotic peptides and proteins, fibroblast growth factors (FGF), FGF-1, FGF-lb, FGF-lc, FGF-2, FGF-2b, FGF-2c, FGF-3, FGF-3b, FGF-3c, FGF -4, FGF-5, FGF-7, FGF-9, acidic FGF, basic FGF, monocyte chemotactic protein- 1, granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), IGF-2, early growth response factor-1 (EGR-1), ETS-1, human tissue kallikrein (HK), matrix metalloproteinase, chymase, urokinase-type plasminogen activator and heparinase. (see, e.g., U.S. Patent Application No. 20060287259 and U.S. Patent Application No. 20070059288).

The most common congenital heart disease found in adults is bicuspid aortic valve, whereas atrial septal defect is responsible for 30-40% of congenital heart disease seen in adults. The most common congenital cardiac defect observed in the pediatric population is ventricular septal defect. Other congenital heart diseases include Eisenmenger's syndrome, patent ductus arteriosus, pulmonary stenosis, coarctation of the aorta, transposition of the great arteries, tricuspid atresia, univentricular heart, Ebstein's anomaly, and double-outlet right ventricle. A number of studies have identified putative genetic loci associated with one or more of these congenital heart diseases. For example, the putative gene(s) for congenital heart disease associated with Down syndrome is 21q22.2-q22.3, between ETS2 and MX1. Similarly, most cases of DiGeorge syndrome result from a deletion of chromosome 22ql 1.2 (the DiGeorge syndrome chromosome region, or DGCR). Several genes are lost in this deletion including the putative transcription factor TUP LEI. This deletion is associated with a variety of phenotypes, e.g., Shprintzen syndrome; conotruncal anomaly face (or Takao syndrome); and isolated outflow tract defects of the heart including Tetralogy of Fallot, truncus arteriosus, and interrupted aortic arch. All of the foregoing disorders can be treated according to the present invention.

Other significant diseases of the heart and vascular system are also believed to have a genetic, typically polygenic, etiological component. These diseases include, for example, hypoplastic left heart syndrome, cardiac valvular dysplasia, Pfeiffer cardiocranial syndrome, oculofaciocardiodental syndrome, Kapur-Toriello syndrome, Sonoda syndrome, Ohdo Blepharophimosis syndrome, heart-hand syndrome, Pierre-Robin syndrome, Hirschsprung disease, Kousseff syndrome, Grange occlusive arterial syndrome, Keams-Sayre syndrome, Kartagener syndrome, Alagille syndrome, Ritscher-Schinzel syndrome, Ivemark syndrome, Young-Simpson syndrome, hemochromatosis, Holzgreve syndrome, Barth syndrome, Smith- Lemli-Opitz syndrome, glycogen storage disease, Gaucher-like disease, Fabry disease, Lowry-Maclean syndrome, Rett syndrome, Opitz syndrome, Marfan syndrome, Miller-Dieker lissencephaly syndrome, mucopolysaccharidosis, Bruada syndrome, humerospinal dysostosis, Phaver syndrome, McDonough syndrome, Marfanoid hypermobility syndrome, atransferrinemia, Cornelia de Lange syndrome, Leopard syndrome, Diamond-Blackfan anemia, Steinfeld syndrome, progeria, and Williams-Beuren syndrome. All of these disorders can be treated according to the present invention. Anti-apoptotic factors can be delivered to skeletal muscle, diaphragm muscle and/or cardiac muscle to treat muscle wasting diseases, limb ischemia, cardiac infarction, heart failure, coronary artery disease and/or type I or type II diabetes.

Nucleic acids that can be delivered to skeletal muscle include those that are beneficial in the treatment of damaged, degenerated and/or atrophied skeletal muscle. The genetic defects that cause muscular dystrophy are known for many forms of the disease. These defective genes either fail to produce a protein product, produce a protein product that fails to function properly, or produce a dysfunctional protein product that interferes with the proper function of the cell. The heterologous nucleic acid may encode a therapeutically functional protein or a polynucleotide that inhibits production or activity of a dysfunctional protein. Polypeptides that may be expressed from delivered nucleic acids, or inhibited by delivered nucleic acids (e.g., by delivering RNAi, microRNA or antisense RNA), include without limitation dystrophin, a mini-dystrophin or a micro-dystrophin (Duchene's and Becker MD); dystrophin-associated glycoproteins b-sarcoglycan (limb-girdle MD 2E), d-sarcoglycan (limb-girdle MD 22F), a-sarcoglycan (limb girdle MD 2D) and g-sarcoglycan (limb-girdle MD 2C), utrophin, calpain (autosomal recessive limb-girdle MD type 2A), caveolin-3 (autosomal-dominant limb-girdle MD), laminin-alpha2 (merosin-deficient congenital MD), miniagrin (laminin-alpha2 deficient congenital MD), fukutin (Fukuyama type congenital MD), emerin (Emery-Dreifuss MD), myotilin, lamin A/C, calpain-3, dysferlin, and/or telethonin. Further, the heterologous nucleic acid can encode mir-1, mir-133, mir-206, mir- 208 or an antisense RNA, RNAi (e.g., siRNA or shRNA) or microRNA to induce exon skipping in a defective dystrophin gene.

In particular embodiments, the nucleic acid is delivered to tongue muscle (e.g., to treat dystrophic tongue). Methods of delivering to the tongue can be by any method known in the art including direct injection, oral administration, topical administration to the tongue, intravenous administration, intra-articular administration and the like.

The foregoing proteins can also be administered to diaphragm muscle to treat muscular dystrophy.

Alternatively, a gene transfer vector may be administered that encodes any other therapeutic polypeptide.

In particular embodiments, a virus vector according to the present invention is used to deliver a nucleic acid of interest as described herein to skeletal muscle, diaphragm muscle and/or cardiac muscle, for example, to treat a disorder associated with one or more of these tissues such as muscular dystrophy, heart disease (including PAD and congestive heart failure), and the like.

Gene transfer has substantial potential use in understanding and providing therapy for disease states. There are a number of inherited diseases in which defective genes are known and have been cloned. In general, the above disease states fall into two classes: deficiency states, usually of enzymes, which are generally inherited in a recessive manner, and unbalanced states, which may involve regulatory or structural proteins, and which are typically inherited in a dominant manner. For deficiency state diseases, gene transfer can be used to bring a normal gene into affected tissues for replacement therapy, as well as to create animal models for the disease using inhibitory RNA such as RNAi (e.g., siRNA or shRNA), microRNA or antisense RNA. For unbalanced disease states, gene transfer can be used to create a disease state in a model system, which can then be used in efforts to counteract the disease state. Thus, the virus vectors according to the present invention permit the treatment of genetic diseases. As used herein, a disease state is treated by partially or wholly remedying the deficiency or imbalance that causes the disease or makes it more severe. The use of site-specific recombination of nucleic sequences to cause mutations or to correct defects is also possible.

In some embodiments, a disorder treatable by the methods of the present invention may be an inherited cardiomyopathy (e.g., hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM), left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy (LVNC), etc.), heart failure, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarct, arrhythmia, pulmonary heart disease, congenital heart disease, donor heart for transplant, carditis, rheumatic heart disease, trauma-related heart damage, aging-related heart disease, or any combination thereof.

In particular embodiments, the nucleic acid is delivered to the liver. Methods of delivering to the liver can be by any method known in the art including injection into the liver, injection into the portal vein, or any combination thereof.

As a further aspect, the virus vectors of the present invention may be used to produce an immune response in a subject. According to this embodiment, a virus vector comprising a nucleic acid encoding an immunogen may be administered to a subject, and an active immune response (optionally, a protective immune response) is mounted by the subject against the immunogen. Immunogens are as described hereinabove. Alternatively, the virus vector may be administered to a cell ex vivo and the altered cell is administered to the subject. The heterologous nucleic acid is introduced into the cell, and the cell is administered to the subject, where the heterologous nucleic acid encoding the immunogen is optionally expressed and induces an immune response in the subject against the immunogen. In particular embodiments, the cell is an antigen-presenting cell (e.g., a dendritic cell).

An "active immune response" or "active immunity" is characterized by "participation of host tissues and cells after an encounter with the immunogen. It involves differentiation and proliferation of immunocompetent cells in lymphoreticular tissues, which lead to synthesis of antibody or the development of cell-mediated reactivity, or both." Herbert B. Herscowitz, Immunophysiology: Cell Function and Cellular Interactions in Antibody Formation, in IMMUNOLOGY: BASIC PROCESSES 117 (Joseph A. Bellanti ed., 1985). Alternatively stated, an active immune response is mounted by the host after exposure to immunogens by infection or by vaccination. Active immunity can be contrasted with passive immunity, which is acquired through the "transfer of preformed substances (antibody, transfer factor, thymic graft, interleukin-2) from an actively immunized host to a non-immune host." Id.

The virus vectors of the present invention may also be administered for cancer immunotherapy by administration of a viral vector expressing a cancer cell antigen (or an immunologically similar molecule) or any other immunogen that produces an immune response against a cancer cell. To illustrate, an immune response may be produced against a cancer cell antigen in a subject by administering a viral vector comprising a heterologous nucleotide sequence encoding the cancer cell antigen, for example to treat a patient with cancer. The virus vector may be administered to a subject in vivo or by using ex vivo methods, as described herein.

As used herein, the term "cancer" encompasses tumor-forming cancers. Likewise, the term "cancerous tissue" encompasses tumors. A "cancer cell antigen" encompasses tumor antigens.

The term "cancer" has its understood meaning in the art, for example, an uncontrolled growth of tissue that has the potential to spread to distant sites of the body (i.e., metastasize). Exemplary cancers include, but are not limited to, leukemia, lymphoma (e.g., Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas), colorectal cancer, renal cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, testicular cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, cervical cancer, brain cancer (e.g., gliomas and glioblastoma), bone cancer, sarcoma, melanoma, head and neck cancer, esophageal cancer, thyroid cancer, and the like. In embodiments of the invention, the invention is practiced to treat and/or prevent tumor-forming cancers.

The term "tumor" is also understood in the art, for example, as an abnormal mass of undifferentiated cells within a multicellular organism. Tumors can be malignant or benign.

In representative embodiments, the methods disclosed herein are used to prevent and treat malignant tumors.

Cancer cell antigens have been described hereinabove. By the terms "treating cancer" or "treatment of cancer," it is intended that the severity of the cancer is reduced or the cancer is prevented or at least partially eliminated. For example, in particular contexts, these terms indicate that metastasis of the cancer is prevented or reduced or at least partially eliminated.

In further representative embodiments these terms indicate that growth of metastatic nodules (e.g., after surgical removal of a primary tumor) is prevented or reduced or at least partially eliminated. By the terms "prevention of cancer" or "preventing cancer" it is intended that the methods at least partially eliminate or reduce the incidence or onset of cancer. Alternatively stated, the onset or progression of cancer in the subject may be slowed, controlled, decreased in likelihood or probability, or delayed.

In particular embodiments, cells may be removed from a subject with cancer and contacted with a virus vector according to the present invention. The modified cell is then administered to the subject, whereby an immune response against the cancer cell antigen is elicited. This method is particularly advantageously employed with immunocompromised subjects that cannot mount a sufficient immune response in vivo (i.e., cannot produce enhancing antibodies in sufficient quantities). It is known in the art that immune responses may be enhanced by immunomodulatory cytokines (e.g., a-interferon, b-interferon, g-interferon, co -interferon, x-interferon, interleukin- la, interleukin- 1b, interleukin-2, interleukin-3, interleukin-4, interleukin 5, interleukin-6, interleukin-7, interleukin-8, interleukin-9, interleukin- 10, interleukin-11, interleukin 12, interleukin- 13, interleukin- 14, interleukin- 18, B cell Growth factor, CD40 Ligand, tumor necrosis factor-a, tumor necrosis factor-b, monocyte chemoattractant protein- 1, granulocyte- macrophage colony stimulating factor, and lymphotoxin). Accordingly, immunomodulatory cytokines (e.g., CTL inductive cytokines) may be administered to a subject in conjunction with the virus vectors.

Cytokines may be administered by any method known in the art. Exogenous cytokines may be administered to the subject, or alternatively, a nucleotide sequence encoding a cytokine may be delivered to the subject using a suitable vector, and the cytokine produced in vivo.

The viral vectors are further useful for targeting cardiac cells (cardiomyocytes) for research purposes, e.g., for study of cardiac function in vitro or in animals or for use in creating and/or studying animal models of disease. In other embodiments, the viral vector can be used to specifically deliver to cardiomyocytes a toxic agent or an enzyme that produces a toxic agent (e.g., thymidine kinase) in order to kill some or all of the cells.

Further, the virus vectors according to the present invention find further use in diagnostic and screening methods, whereby a gene of interest is transiently or stably expressed in a cell culture system, or alternatively, a transgenic animal model. The invention can also be practiced to deliver a nucleic acid for the purposes of protein production, e.g., for laboratory, industrial or commercial purposes.

Recombinant virus vectors according to the present invention find use in both veterinary and medical applications. Suitable subjects include both avians and mammals.

The term "avian" as used herein includes, but is not limited to, chickens, ducks, geese, quail, turkeys, pheasant, parrots, parakeets. The term "mammal" as used herein includes, but is not limited to, humans, primates, non-human primates (e.g., monkeys and baboons), cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, cats, dogs, rabbits, rodents (e.g., rats, mice, hamsters, and the like), etc. Human subjects include neonates, infants, juveniles, and adults. Optionally, the subject is "in need of' the methods of the present invention, e.g., because the subject has or is believed at risk for a disorder including those described herein or that would benefit from the delivery of a nucleic acid including those described herein. For example, in particular embodiments, the subject has (or has had) or is at risk for a demyelinating disorder or a spinal cord or brain injury. As a further option, the subject can be a laboratory animal and/or an animal model of disease.

In some embodiments, the mammalian subject (e.g., a human patient) may have previously received gene therapy treatment with an AAV particle of a serotype that is not the serotype of the backbone of the capsid, e.g., that is not AAV5 (e.g., a non-AAV5 particle).

One aspect of the present invention is a method of transferring a nucleotide sequence to a cell in vitro. The virus vector may be introduced to the cells at the appropriate multiplicity of infection according to standard transduction methods appropriate for the particular target cells. Titers of the virus vector or capsid to administer can vary, depending upon the target cell type and number, and the particular virus vector or capsid, and can be determined by those of skill in the art without undue experimentation. In particular embodiments, at least about 10³ infectious units, more preferably at least about 10⁵ infectious units are introduced to the cell.

The cell(s) into which the virus vector can be introduced may be of any type, including but not limited to neural cells (including cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems, in particular, brain cells such as neurons, oligodendrocytes, glial cells, astrocytes), lung cells, cells of the eye (including retinal cells, retinal pigment epithelium, and comeal cells), epithelial cells (e.g., gut and respiratory epithelial cells), skeletal muscle cells (including myoblasts, myotubes and myofibers), diaphragm muscle cells, dendritic cells, pancreatic cells (including islet cells), hepatic cells, a cell of the gastrointestinal tract (including smooth muscle cells, epithelial cells), heart cells (including cardiomyocytes), bone cells (e.g., bone marrow stem cells), hematopoietic stem cells, spleen cells, keratinocytes, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, prostate cells, joint cells (including, e.g., cartilage, meniscus, synovium and bone marrow), germ cells, and the like. Alternatively, the cell may be any progenitor cell. As a further alternative, the cell can be a stem cell (e.g., neural stem cell, liver stem cell). As still a further alternative, the cell may be a cancer or tumor cell (cancers and tumors are described above). Moreover, the cells can be from any species of origin, as indicated above.

The virus vectors may be introduced to cells in vitro for the purpose of administering the modified cell to a subject. In particular embodiments, the cells have been removed from a subject, the virus vector is introduced therein, and the cells are then replaced back into the subject. Methods of removing cells from subject for treatment ex vivo, followed by introduction back into the subject are known in the art (see, e.g., U.S. patent No. 5,399,346). Alternatively, the recombinant virus vector is introduced into cells from another subject, into cultured cells, or into cells from any other suitable source, and the cells are administered to a subject in need thereof.

Suitable cells for ex vivo gene therapy are as described above. Dosages of the cells to administer to a subject will vary upon the age, condition and species of the subject, the type of cell, the nucleic acid being expressed by the cell, the mode of administration, and the like. Typically, at least about 10² to about 10⁸ or about 10³ to about 10⁶ cells will be administered per dose in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. In particular embodiments, the cells transduced with the virus vector are administered to the subject in an effective amount in combination with a pharmaceutical carrier.

In some embodiments, cells that have been transduced with the virus vector may be administered to elicit an immunogenic response against the delivered polypeptide (e.g., expressed as a transgene or in the capsid). Typically, a quantity of cells expressing an effective amount of the polypeptide in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier is administered. Optionally, the dosage is sufficient to produce a protective immune response (as defined above). The degree of protection conferred need not be complete or permanent, as long as the benefits of administering the immunogenic polypeptide outweigh any disadvantages thereof.

A further aspect of the invention is a method of administering the virus vectors or capsids of the invention to subjects. In particular embodiments, the method comprises a method of delivering a nucleic acid of interest to an animal subject, the method comprising: administering an effective amount of a virus vector according to the invention to an animal subject. Administration of the virus vectors of the present invention to a human subject or an animal in need thereof can be by any means known in the art. Optionally, the virus vector is delivered in an effective dose in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

The virus vectors of the invention can further be administered to a subject to elicit an immunogenic response (e.g., as a vaccine). Typically, vaccines of the present invention comprise an effective amount of virus in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. Optionally, the dosage is sufficient to produce a protective immune response (as defined above). The degree of protection conferred need not be complete or permanent, as long as the benefits of administering the immunogenic polypeptide outweigh any disadvantages thereof. Subjects and immunogens are as described above.

Dosages of the virus vectors to be administered to a subject will depend upon the mode of administration, the disease or condition to be treated, the individual subject's condition, the particular virus vector, and the nucleic acid to be delivered, and can be determined in a routine manner. Exemplary doses for achieving therapeutic effects are virus titers of at least about 10⁵, 10⁶, 10⁷, 10⁸, 10⁹, 10¹⁰, 10¹¹, 10¹², 10¹³, 10¹⁴, 10¹⁵ transducing units or more, preferably about 10⁷ or 10⁸, 10⁹, 10¹⁰, 10¹¹, 10¹², 10¹³ or 10¹⁴ transducing units, yet more preferably about 10¹² transducing units. In some embodiments, a therapeutically effective amount of the AAV particle is between about 1 ^c 10¹² vg (particles) /kg to about 1 x 10¹⁴ particles/kg, e.g., about lxlO¹², 2*10¹², 3^c10¹²,4^c10¹², 5*10¹², 6^c10¹², 7*10¹², 8*10¹², 9*10¹², I^cIO¹³, 2*10¹³, 3*10¹³, 4*10¹³, 5*10¹³, or 6^c10¹³ or any value or range therein.

For example, some embodiments, a therapeutically effective amount of an AAV particle of the present invention may be about 1.5 x 10¹² particles/kg to about 5.5 x 10¹² particles/kg, about 1 x 10¹² particles/kg to about 5.3 x 10¹³ particles/kg, about 1 x 10¹³ particles/kg to about 6 x 10¹³ particles/kg, or about lx 10¹² particles/kg, about 5 x 10¹² particles/kg, about 1.2 x 10¹³ particles/kg, or about 3.5 x 10¹³ particles/kg.

Exemplary modes of administration include oral, rectal, transmucosal, topical, intranasal, inhalation (e.g., via an aerosol), buccal (e.g., sublingual), vaginal, intrathecal, intraocular, transdermal, in utero (or in ovo), parenteral (e.g., intravenous, subcutaneous, intradermal, intramuscular [including administration to skeletal, diaphragm and/or cardiac muscle], intradermal, intrapleural, intracerebral, and intraarticular), topical (e.g., to both skin and mucosal surfaces, including airway surfaces, and transdermal administration), intro- lymphatic, and the like, as well as direct tissue or organ injection (e.g., to liver, skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, diaphragm muscle or brain). Administration can also be to a tumor (e.g., in or a near a tumor or a lymph node). The most suitable route in any given case will depend on the nature and severity of the condition being treated and on the nature of the particular vector that is being used.

In some embodiments, the viral vector is administered directly to the CNS, e.g., the brain or the spinal cord. Direct administration can result in high specificity of transduction of CNS cells, e.g., wherein at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95% or more of the transduced cells are CNS cells. Any method known in the art to administer vectors directly to the CNS can be used. The vector may be introduced into the spinal cord, brainstem (medulla oblongata, pons), midbrain (hypothalamus, thalamus, epithalamus, pituitary gland, substantia nigra, pineal gland), cerebellum, telencephalon (corpus striatum, cerebrum including the occipital, temporal, parietal and frontal lobes, cortex, basal ganglia, hippocampus and amygdala), limbic system, neocortex, corpus striatum, cerebrum, and inferior colliculus. The vector may also be administered to different regions of the eye such as the retina, cornea or optic nerve. The vector may be delivered into the cerebrospinal fluid (e.g., by lumbar puncture) for more disperse administration of the vector.

The delivery vector may be administered to the desired region(s) of the CNS by any route known in the art, including but not limited to, intrathecal, intracerebral, intraventricular, intranasal, intra-aural, intra-ocular (e.g., intra- vitreous, sub-retinal, anterior chamber) and peri-ocular (e.g., sub-Tenon's region) delivery or any combination thereof.

Administration to skeletal muscle according to the present invention includes but is not limited to administration to skeletal muscles in the limbs (e.g., upper arm, lower arm, upper leg, and/or lower leg), back, neck, head (e.g., tongue), thorax, abdomen, pelvis/perineum, and/or digits. Suitable skeletal muscle tissues include but are not limited to abductor digiti minimi (in the hand), abductor digiti minimi (in the foot), abductor hallucis, abductor ossis metatarsi quinti, abductor polbcis brevis, abductor polbcis longus, adductor brevis, adductor hallucis, adductor longus, adductor magnus, adductor polbcis, anconeus, anterior scalene, articularis genus, biceps brachii, biceps femoris, brachialis, brachioradiabs, buccinator, coracobrachiabs, corrugator supercibi, deltoid, depressor anguli oris, depressor labii inferioris, digastric, dorsal interossei (in the hand), dorsal interossei (in the foot), extensor carpi radialis brevis, extensor carpi radiabs longus, extensor carpi ulnaris, extensor digiti minimi, extensor digitorum, extensor digitorum brevis, extensor digitorum longus, extensor hallucis brevis, extensor hallucis longus, extensor indicis, extensor polbcis brevis, extensor polbcis longus, flexor carpi radiabs, flexor carpi ulnaris, flexor digiti minimi brevis (in the hand), flexor digiti minimi brevis (in the foot), flexor digitorum brevis, flexor digitorum longus, flexor digitorum profundus, flexor digitorum superficiabs, flexor hallucis brevis, flexor hallucis longus, flexor polbcis brevis, flexor polbcis longus, frontalis, gastrocnemius, geniohyoid, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, gracilis, ibocostabs cervicis, ibocostabs lumborum, ibocostabs thoracis, Abacus, inferior gemellus, inferior oblique, inferior rectus, infraspinatus, interspinabs, intertransversi, lateral pterygoid, lateral rectus, latissimus dorsi, levator anguli oris, levator labii superioris, levator labii superioris alaeque nasi, levator palpebrae superioris, levator scapulae, long rotators, longissimus capitis, longissimus cervicis, longissimus thoracis, longus capitis, longus colli, lumbricals (in the hand), lumbricals (in the foot), masseter, medial pterygoid, medial rectus, middle scalene, multifidus, mylohyoid, obbquus capitis inferior, obbquus capitis superior, obturator extemus, obturator intemus, occipitalis, omohyoid, opponens digiti minimi, opponens polbcis, orbicularis oculi, orbicularis oris, palmar interossei, palmaris brevis, palmaris longus, pectineus, pectorabs major, pectorabs minor, peroneus brevis, peroneus longus, peroneus tertius, piriformis, plantar interossei, plantaris, platysma, popliteus, posterior scalene, pronator quadratus, pronator teres, psoas major, quadratus femoris, quadratus plantae, rectus capitis anterior, rectus capitis lateralis, rectus capitis posterior major, rectus capitis posterior minor, rectus femoris, rhomboid major, rhomboid minor, risorius, sartorius, scalenus minimus, semimembranosus, semispinalis capitis, semispinalis cervicis, semispinalis thoracis, semitendinosus, serratus anterior, short rotators, soleus, spinalis capitis, spinalis cervicis, spinalis thoracis, splenius capitis, splenius cervicis, sternocleidomastoid, sternohyoid, sternothyroid, stylohyoid, subclavius, subscapularis, superior gemellus, superior oblique, superior rectus, supinator, supraspinatus, temporalis, tensor fascia lata, teres major, teres minor, thoracis, thyrohyoid, tibialis anterior, tibialis posterior, trapezius, triceps brachii, vastus intermedius, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, zygomaticus major, and zygomaticus minor and any other suitable skeletal muscle as known in the art.

The virus vector can be delivered to skeletal muscle by any suitable method including without limitation intravenous administration, intra-arterial administration, intraperitoneal administration, isolated limb perfusion (of leg and/or arm; see, e.g., Arruda et al. (2005) Blood 105:3458-3464), and/or direct intramuscular injection.

Administration to cardiac muscle includes without limitation administration to the left atrium, right atrium, left ventricle, right ventricle and/or septum. The virus vector can be delivered to cardiac muscle by any method known in the art including, e.g., intravenous administration, intra-arterial administration such as intra-aortic administration, direct cardiac injection (e.g., into left atrium, right atrium, left ventricle, right ventricle), and/or coronary artery perfusion.

Administration to diaphragm muscle can be by any suitable method including intravenous administration, intra-arterial administration, and/or intra-peritoneal administration.

Delivery to any of these tissues can also be achieved by delivering a depot comprising the virus vector, which can be implanted into the skeletal, cardiac and/or diaphragm muscle tissue or the tissue can be contacted with a film or other matrix comprising the virus vector. Examples of such implantable matrices or substrates are described in U.S. Patent No. 7,201,898).

In particular embodiments, a virus vector according to the present invention is administered to skeletal muscle, diaphragm muscle and/or cardiac muscle (e.g., to treat muscular dystrophy or heart disease [for example, PAD or congestive heart failure]). The invention can be used to treat disorders of skeletal, cardiac and/or diaphragm muscle. Alternatively, the invention can be practiced to deliver a nucleic acid to skeletal, cardiac and/or diaphragm muscle, which is used as a platform for production of a protein product (e.g., an enzyme) or non-translated RNA (e.g., RNAi, microRNA, antisense RNA) that normally circulates in the blood or for systemic delivery to other tissues to treat a disorder (e.g., a metabolic disorder, such as diabetes (e.g., insulin), hemophilia (e.g., Factor IX or Factor VIII), or a lysosomal storage disorder (such as Gaucher's disease [glucocerebrosidase], Pompe disease [lysosomal acid a-glucosidase] or Fabry disease [a- galactosidase A]) or a glycogen storage disorder (such as Pompe disease [lysosomal acid a glucosidase]). Other suitable proteins for treating metabolic disorders are described above.

In some embodiments, more than one administration (e.g., two, three, four or more administrations) may be employed to achieve the desired level of gene expression over a period of various intervals, e.g., daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, etc.

Pharmaceutical compositions suitable for oral administration can be presented in discrete units, such as capsules, cachets, lozenges, or tablets, each containing a predetermined amount of the composition of this invention; as a powder or granules; as a solution or a suspension in an aqueous or non-aqueous liquid; or as an oil-in-water or water-in-oil emulsion. Oral delivery can be performed by complexing a virus vector of the present invention to a carrier capable of withstanding degradation by digestive enzymes in the gut of an animal. Examples of such carriers include plastic capsules or tablets, as known in the art. Such formulations are prepared by any suitable method of pharmacy, which includes the step of bringing into association the composition and a suitable carrier (which may contain one or more accessory ingredients as noted above). In general, the pharmaceutical composition according to embodiments of the present invention are prepared by uniformly and intimately admixing the composition with a liquid or finely divided solid carrier, or both, and then, if necessary, shaping the resulting mixture. For example, a tablet can be prepared by compressing or molding a powder or granules containing the composition, optionally with one or more accessory ingredients. Compressed tablets are prepared by compressing, in a suitable machine, the composition in a free-flowing form, such as a powder or granules optionally mixed with a binder, lubricant, inert diluent, and/or surface active/dispersing agent(s). Molded tablets are made by molding, in a suitable machine, the powdered compound moistened with an inert liquid binder.

Pharmaceutical compositions suitable for buccal (sub-lingual) administration include lozenges comprising the composition of this invention in a flavored base, usually sucrose and acacia or tragacanth; and pastilles comprising the composition in an inert base such as gelatin and glycerin or sucrose and acacia.

Pharmaceutical compositions suitable for parenteral administration can comprise sterile aqueous and non-aqueous injection solutions of the composition of this invention, which preparations are optionally isotonic with the blood of the intended recipient. These preparations can contain anti-oxidants, buffers, bacteriostats and solutes, which render the composition isotonic with the blood of the intended recipient. Aqueous and non-aqueous sterile suspensions, solutions and emulsions can include suspending agents and thickening agents. Examples of non-aqueous solvents are propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, vegetable oils such as olive oil, and injectable organic esters such as ethyl oleate. Aqueous carriers include water, alcoholic/aqueous solutions, emulsions or suspensions, including saline and buffered media. Parenteral vehicles include sodium chloride solution, Ringer's dextrose, dextrose and sodium chloride, lactated Ringer's, or fixed oils. Intravenous vehicles include fluid and nutrient replenishers, electrolyte replenishers (such as those based on Ringer's dextrose), and the like. Preservatives and other additives may also be present such as, for example, antimicrobials, anti-oxidants, chelating agents, and inert gases and the like.

The compositions can be presented in unit/dose or multi-dose containers, for example, in sealed ampoules and vials, and can be stored in a freeze-dried (lyophilized) condition requiring only the addition of the sterile liquid carrier, for example, saline or water-for- injection immediately prior to use.

Extemporaneous injection solutions and suspensions can be prepared from sterile powders, granules and tablets of the kind previously described. For example, an injectable, stable, sterile composition of this invention in a unit dosage form in a sealed container can be provided. The composition can be provided in the form of a lyophilizate, which can be reconstituted with a suitable pharmaceutically acceptable carrier to form a liquid composition suitable for injection into a subject. The unit dosage form can be from about 1 pg to about 10 grams of the composition of this invention. When the composition is substantially water- insoluble, a sufficient amount of emulsifying agent, which is physiologically acceptable, can be included in sufficient quantity to emulsify the composition in an aqueous carrier. One such useful emulsifying agent is phosphatidyl choline.

Pharmaceutical compositions suitable for rectal administration can be presented as unit dose suppositories. These can be prepared by admixing the composition with one or more conventional solid carriers, such as for example, cocoa butter and then shaping the resulting mixture. Pharmaceutical compositions of this invention suitable for topical application to the skin can take the form of an ointment, cream, lotion, paste, gel, spray, aerosol, or oil.

Carriers that can be used include, but are not limited to, petroleum jelly, lanoline, polyethylene glycols, alcohols, transdermal enhancers, and combinations of two or more thereof. In some embodiments, for example, topical delivery can be performed by mixing a pharmaceutical composition of the present invention with a lipophilic reagent (e.g., DMSO) that is capable of passing into the skin.

Pharmaceutical compositions suitable for transdermal administration can be in the form of discrete patches adapted to remain in intimate contact with the epidermis of the subject for a prolonged period of time. Compositions suitable for transdermal administration can also be delivered by iontophoresis (see, for example, Pharm. Res. 3:318 (1986)) and typically take the form of an optionally buffered aqueous solution of the composition of this invention. Suitable formulations can comprise citrate or bisYtris buffer (pH 6) or ethanol/water and can contain from 0.1 to 0.2M active ingredient.

The virus vectors disclosed herein may be administered to the lungs of a subject by any suitable means, for example, by administering an aerosol suspension of respirable particles comprised of the virus vectors, which the subject inhales. The respirable particles may be liquid or solid. Aerosols of liquid particles comprising the virus vectors may be produced by any suitable means, such as with a pressure-driven aerosol nebulizer or an ultrasonic nebulizer, as is known to those of skill in the art. See, e.g., U.S. Patent No. 4,501,729. Aerosols of solid particles comprising the virus vectors may likewise be produced with any solid particulate medicament aerosol generator, by techniques known in the pharmaceutical art.

The invention will now be described with reference to the following examples. It should be appreciated that these examples are not intended to limit the scope of the claims to the invention but are rather intended to be exemplary of certain embodiments. Any variations in the exemplified methods that occur to the skilled artisan are intended to fall within the scope of the invention.

EXAMPLES

EXAMPLE 1: Construction of the modified AAV5 vectors.

Several pairs of primers were synthesized to amplify the sequencing of VP1 and VP2 from AAV9 as inserts by PCR, which were used to replace the VP1 and VP2 of AAV5 by blunt ligation. FIG. 1 shows the construction of the modified AAV59 vector, whose VPl and VP2 are replaced by AAV9’s, based on AAV5 construction. AAV59’s VP3 is kept unchanged (i.e., AAV5’s VP3). Based on the construction of AAV59, AAV5’s VP3 capsid protein was further modified by insertion of specific self-similar sequences (labeled herein as self-similar sequences 1, 2 and 3) into VR-VIII at site Q574 (FIG. 2) of AAV5 capsid plasmid. These constructs were thus named AAV591 (with self-similar sequence 1),

AAV592 (with self-similar sequence 2) and AAV593 (with self-similar sequence 3), respectively.

The specific sequences are self-similar fractal, which exist in nature and can be found in the construction of protein. In the present invention, AAV591 and AAV592 formation were produced by inserting self-similar sequences of VR-VIII into AAV59’s VP3 (FIG. 3).

In stepwise detail, first, the site Q574 in the VR-VIII of AAV5 or AAV59 (FIG. 3 panel A) was inserted with extra sequences, namely one copy of AAV9’s VR-VIII (QSAQAQA) was inserted into Q574 (FIG. 3 panel B). Then, an additional AAV9 VR-VIII (QSAQAQA) was inserted into same site in the prior AAV9’s VR-VIII (FIG. 3 panel C), followed by the repeated insertion of self-similar sequences of AAV9’s VR-VIII (QSAQAQA) into the same site at the AAV9’s VR-VIII of FIG. 3 panel C, to form AAV591 with triplicate AAV9’s VR-VIII (FIG. 3 panel D). Last, AAV592 was constructed by insertion with AAV9’s VR-I sequences (NSTSGGSS) into AAV591 (FIG. 3 panel E). The cartoon models (left panel) and surface models (right panel) are made by SWISS-MODEL software (FIG. 3 panels F-J) and correspond with the constructions shown in FIG. 3 panels A-E. In the FIG. 4 panels A- E, by the same method, AAV593 was constructed by triplicate insertion with AAV5’s VR- VIII and single insertion of AAV9’s VR-I sequences (NSTSGGSS). The corresponding cartoon models (left panel) and surface models (right panel) are shown in FIG. 4 panels F-J.

The partial VP3 sequences (amino acid residue positions 546-625, wherein the numbering corresponds to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1) of AAV5 and its modified vectors are shown below. The inserted self-similar sequences are underlined in the partial sequences of the AAV591, AAV592 and AAV593 vectors. The partial VP3’s ball and stick constructions of AAV5 and its modified vectors AAV591, AAV592 and AAV593’s VP3 are shown in FIG. 5. It was observed that the VR-VIII of AAV5 is located at the surface of AAV capsids, and the three inserted self-similar sequences are also shown on the surface of AAV591, AAV592 and AAV593’s capsids (FIG. 5 panel A (AAV5), panel B (AAV591), panel C (AAV592), and panel D (AAV593). While not wishing to be bound to theory, it is proposed that these sequences and/or their structural position on the VP3 capsid protein may influence tissue tropism of the capsid.

All of AAV vectors were produced by triple plasmids transfection in Human Embryonic Kidney (HEK) 293 cells. The AAV vector plasmid (containing the gene of LacZ), AAV helper plasmid and Ad helper plasmid AAV591, AAV592 and AAV593 were transiently transfected into HEK293 cells. Forty-eight hours after transfection, the HEK293 cells were harvested, and freeze-thawed three times. The viruses were purified through polyethylene glycol (PEG8000) precipitation, followed by two courses of CsCl gradient ultracentrifugation in an OptimaTM L-100XP ultracentrifuge (Beckman Coulter,

Indianapolis, IN). After the first spin with gradient CsCl, the empty (upper) and full AAV (lower) particles were separated into different bands (shown in the FIG. 6A), which means the modified AAV vectors AAV59, AAV591, AAV592 and AAV593 could be successfully packaged. In FIG. 6B, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows these modified AAV vectors present in icosahedral symmetry and are about 22 nm in diameter. They are almost packaged into full AAV vectors. Lastly, all of the AAV viruses were titered by standard dot- blot assay. The viral vectors were diluted to 5.0 xlO¹² viral genomes per milliliter (vg/ml).

EXAMPLE 2: AAV591, AAV592 and AAV593 vectors significantly increase the target gene expression in heart.

In vivo, the modified AAV5 viruses were injected into C57B6 mice by tail vein (3xl0ⁿ/mouse, n=4/group). After two weeks, the tissues, including heart, liver, gastrocnemius (GAS), lung, intestine, kidney, spleen, and pancreas, were harvested and frozen into liquid nitrogen. The tissue sections were performed with 20 pm thickness. The cryosections were first fixed for five minutes in cold fixative solution (2.7 ml 37% formaldehyde and 0.4 ml 25% glutaraldehyde diluted in ice cold PBS). The sections were washed gently with PBS three times, followed by staining at 37°C overnight in X-gal solution (1 mg/mL X-gal, 5 mM MgC12, 5 mM potassium ferricyanide and 5 mM potassium ferrocyanide in PBS). FIG. 7 shows LacZ expression in the heart and liver of C57B6 mediated by AAV5 vectors with CB promoter. The modified AAV vector AAV591,

AAV592 and AAV593 significantly increased heart tropism compared with original AAV5 vector and AAV59, while simultaneously significantly decreasing target gene expression in the liver, which means the three AAV vectors show liver detargeting.

Next, LacZ activity was measured in tissues. Heart, liver, and other tissues were homogenized with lysis buffer and centrifuged for supernatant, which would be used for measuring the LacZ activity. FIG. 8 shows the activity of LacZ mediated by the modified AAV5 vectors in heart and liver and other tissues. The modified AAV vectors AAV591, AAV592 and AAV593 significantly increased heart tropism by 7.0-21.9 or 5.0-15.5 fold, compared with original AAV5 and AAV59, individually. Interestingly, the three modified AAV vectors show liver detargeting, with LacZ activity decreased in the liver down to 16.2- 26.6% or 11.8-19.3% of AAV5 or AAV59. To determine modified AAV5 vectors’ heart tropism, a ratio of target gene expression in heart and liver was examined. As shown in FIG. 9, the ratio of LacZ activity (heart/liver) in AAV591, AAV592 and AAV593 increased 20.1- 66.4 or 33.9-69.5 fold, compared with AAV5 or AAV59, individually. However, there are no significant differences between the groups in lung, intestine, kidney, spleen, or pancreas. Furthermore, in these organs the LacZ expression level was very low, indicating that the three novel AAV5 vectors could specifically target heart and detarget liver and other organs.

EXAMPLE 3: Modified AAV59 vectors enhance greatly the target gene expression in Huh- 7 cells, but AAV591, AAV592 and AAV593 did not.

To identify whether the modified AAV591, AAV592 and AAV593 detarget hepatocytes, a type of human liver cell line, Huh-7, which is a well differentiated hepatocyte- derived carcinoma cell, was chosen as a cell line for use in in vitro studies. The Huh-7 cell line was infected with purified AAV viruses packaging LacZ gene with CB promoter. The vectors were administrated with high MOI (5xl0⁵/cell) and low MOI ( 1 / loVcell). The LacZ staining showed AAV59 increased the LacZ expression in vitro, but AAV591, AAV592 and AAV593 did not (FIG. 10). The quantitative LacZ enzyme activity assays were carried out using the Galacto-Light Plus™ System (Applied Biosystems, Bedford, MA) according to the manufacturer's instructions. In brief, 72h after transfection, the cells were washed with PBS three times, lysed with lysis solution, and centrifuged for two minutes to pellet debris. 10 pi of the supernatant was then transferred to microplate wells and incubated with 70 pi of reaction buffer for one hour. After injection of 100 pi of Accel erator-II, the signal was read with microplate luminometers. The LacZ activity was expressed as relative light units (RLU) per milligram of total protein (RLU/mg protein). FIGS. 11A-11B show the activity of LacZ in Huh7 cells mediated by AAV59 vector increased 5.0 and 7.6 fold in high-MOI and low- MOI treatment, respectively, compared with original AAV5 vector, but AAV591, AAV592 and AAV593 decreased LacZ expression up to 18-31% (high-MOI treatment) or 3-14% (low- MOI treatment), compared with AAV59. There were no significant differences between the three AAV vectors and original AAV5 vector.

EXAMPLE 4: AAV591, AAV592 and AAV593 vectors presented the ability of immunologic escape.

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) contains the pooled immunoglobulin G (IgG) from the plasma of thousands of blood donors. The average level of AAV neutralization in IVIG represents the repertoire of anti-AAV antibodies with heterogeneous specificities and affinities in the population. In the present invention, IVIG did not inhibit AAV591, AAV592 and AAV598 mediated LacZ expression (FIG. 12), which demonstrated that the three-novel modified AAV5 vectors are significantly more resistant to neutralization by IVIG than AAV9. To be exact, AAV591 (1:20), AAV592 (1:40) and AAV598 (1:20) showed low antigenicity as same as AAV5 (1:40) and AAV59 (1:20), while they presented about 16 to about32-fold greater resistance to neutralization than AAV9 (1:640). Thus, AAV591, AAV592 and AAV593 vectors could not be inhibited by IVIG, indicating that they have the ability of immunologic escape.

EXAMPLE 5: Modified chimeric AAV9 and AAVrhlO vectors.

The examples above show the design of some example specific self-similar sequences, which were inserted into loop VIII of AAV5 VP3 capsid protein of the AAV59 vector (FIGS. 2-4). AAV vectors were produced in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells by triple plasmids transfection, including AAV5 plasmid, vector plasmid pAAV-CB- LacZ-cytoplasm and AAV helper plasmid. After purification and titer determination, the modified AAV5 vectors were injected into C57/B6 mice by tail vein (3xl0ⁿ vg/mouse, n=4), and their tissue tropism was observed.

The capsids of AAV591, AAV592 and AAV593 inserted with specific self-similar sequences could be successfully packaged into AAV vectors. In vivo, AAV5 and AAV59 poorly infected the heart, but the modified AAV vectors AAV591, AAV592 and AAV593 significantly increased heart tropism about 7.0-21.9 fold and 5.0-15.5 fold, respectively, compared with original AAV5 vector and AAV59 vector. They showed liver detargeting and their LacZ activity in the liver decreased down to 16.2-26.6% and 11.8-19.3%, respectively, of AAV5 or AAV59, indicating that AAV591, AAV592 and AAV593 inserted with specific self-similar sequences switched capsid’s tropism from liver to heart. Interestingly, the three modified AAV5 vectors still kept AAV5’s low tissue tropism in other organs including GAS, lung, intestine, kidney, spleen and pancreas (FIGS. 7 and 8). Furthermore, preliminary data showed that the modified AAV5 vectors AAV591, AAV592 and AAV593 also kept AAV5’s low immune antigenicity and escape from immune system (FIG. 12), and could be widely applied to the patients with heart diseases, who have pre-existing antibody of other AAV serotypes, such as AAV9, AAV8, and so on.

To confirm whether the insertion of the self-similar sequences into other serotypes’ loop VIII can dramatically increase their heart tropism while detargeting liver, new constructs are generated based on AAV9 and AAVrhlO capsids with the insertion of self-similar sequences into Loop VIII. The capsid constructs are cloned by reversed PCR using one pair of primers with inserted self-similar sequences. After obtaining the capsid plasmids of modified AAV9 and AAVrhlO vectors, all of the AAV vectors are produced by triple plasmids transduction in Human Embryonic Kidney (HEK) 293 cells according to the methods described in in Examples 1-4. Additional plasmids include the AAV vector plasmid (containing the targeting gene LacZ) and AAV helper plasmid. The plasmid pAAV2.1-CB- LacZ-cyt vector is used to express LacZ in the cytoplasm. Forty-eight hours after transfection, the HEK293 cells are harvested and frozen-and-thawed three times. Then all viruses are purified through polyethylene glycol (PEG8000) precipitation, followed by two courses of CsCl gradient ultracentrifugation in an OptimaTM L-100XP ultracentrifuge (Beckman Coulter, Indianapolis, IN). The AAV viruses are titered by standard dot-blot assay. The viral vectors are diluted to 2.0 to 6.0 xlO¹² viral genomes per milliliter (vg/ml).

To test the modified AAV9 and AAVrhlO infectivity in vitro, all purified AAV9 and AAVrhlO viruses are added into the medium of Huh-7 cells (differentiated hepatocyte- derived carcinoma cell) and H9C2 cells (myoblastic cells) according to MOI (MOI= lxlO⁵ vg/cell). Then the cells are cultured in DMEM medium plus 10% FBS. After 72h, the cells are harvested to measure of LacZ activity. The cells are washed with PBS for one time, followed by lysing with lysis solution, and centrifuging for 10 min to pellet debris. Then, 10 pi of the supernatant is transferred to microplate wells, and incubated with 70 pi of reaction buffer for lh. After injection of 100 mΐ Accel erator-II, the signal is read with microplate luminometers. The LacZ activity is expressed as relative light units (RLU) per milligram of total protein (RLU/mg protein). Results are compared with original AAV9 and AAVrhlO, to check whether the modified AAV9 and AAVrhlO increase LacZ expression in vitro.

To identify whether the modified AAV9 and AAVrhlO with self-similar sequences could increase heart tropism and detarget liver in vivo, the modified AAV9 and AAVrhlO vectors packaged with LacZ gene are next injected by tail vein into 8-week old C57BL/6 mice (1.2xl0¹³ vg/kg). After 2 weeks, the tissues are harvested and frozen at -80 °C. The tissue sections are performed with 20 pm thickness. The cryosections are first fixed for 5 minutes in cold fixative solution (2% formaldehyde and 0.2% glutaraldehyde diluted in cold PBS). Subsequently, the slides are washed gently with PBS three times, followed by staining at 37°C overnight in X-gal solution (1 mg/mL X-gal, 5 mM MgCh. 5 mM potassium ferricyanide and 5 mM potassium ferrocyanide in PBS). Then the LacZ expression is imaged and compared. At the same time, the LacZ activity in liver and heart is also measured for comparison. The LacZ expression level is compared between the modified chimeric AAV9 and AAVrhlO vectors and original AAV9 and AAVrhlO vectors to confirm whether the insertion of self-similar sequences enhance heart tropism and/or decrease the liver tropism.

After successful application in the animal model, these modified vectors represent additional delivery vectors to deliver therapeutic genes to treat heart failure without liver dysfunction in patients. This technology presents useful to, for example, heart failure patients with a need to receive gene therapy to rescue heart function with no or minimal expression of vector in other tissues, such as the liver.

The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention, and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. The invention is defined by the following claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein.

Claims

THAT WHICH IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A chimeric adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsid of a first serotype comprising the following: a) a VP1 capsid protein of a second AAV serotype that is different from or the same as said first AAV serotype; b) a VP2 capsid protein of a third AAV serotype that is different from or the same as said first and/or second AAV serotype; and c) a VP3 capsid protein of a fourth AAV serotype that is different from or the same as said first, second, and/or third AAV serotype comprising an insertion (a "self-similar" insertion) in the VP3 variable region (VR)-VIII region of one or more VP3 VR sequence from one or more fifth AAV serotype that is different from or the same as said first, second, third, and/or fourth AAV serotype, wherein the chimeric AAV capsid has enhanced heart tropism as compared to the heart tropism of a corresponding wildtype AAV capsid of the first serotype.

2. The chimeric AAV capsid of claim 1, wherein the enhanced heart tropism is enhanced about 5.0 fold or higher as compared to the heart tropism of a corresponding wildtype AAV capsid.

3. The chimeric AAV capsid of claim 1 or 2, which has reduced liver tropism (is liver detargeted) as compared to the liver tropism of a corresponding wildtype AAV capsid of the first serotype.

4. The chimeric AAV capsid of claim 3, wherein the reduced liver tropism (liver detargeting) is about 50% of less as compared to the liver tropism of a corresponding wildtype AAV capsid of the first serotype.

5. The chimeric AAV capsid of any one of claims 1-4, which has low tropism in one or more of a gastrocnemius muscle (GAS), lung, intestine, kidney, spleen, and/or pancreas, as compared to the heart.

6. The chimeric AAV capsid of claim 5, which has low tropism for the gastrocnemius muscle (GAS), lung, intestine, kidney, spleen, and pancreas, as compared to the heart.

7. The chimeric AAV capsid of any one of claims 1-6, wherein the first serotype is an AAV5, AAV9, or AAV rh 10 serotype.

8. The chimeric AAV capsid of any one of claims 1-7, wherein the insertion in the VP3 VR-VIII region is following the amino acid residue corresponding to Q574 in SEQ ID NO:l.

9. The chimeric AAV capsid of any one of claims 1-8, wherein the one or more VP3 VR sequence from one or more fifth AAV serotype is a VP3 VR-I, VR-II, VR-III, VR-IV, VR-V, VR-VI, VR-VII, VR-VIII, and/or VR-IX.

10. The chimeric AAV capsid of any one of claims 1-9, wherein the second AAV serotype and the third AAV serotype are the same.

11. The chimeric AAV capsid of any one of claims 1 -9, wherein the second AAV serotype and the third AAV serotype are different.

12. The chimeric AAV capsid of any one of claims 1-11, wherein the fourth AAV serotype is the same AAV serotype as the second and/or the third AAV serotype.

13. The chimeric AAV capsid of any one of claims 1-11, wherein the fourth AAV serotype is different from the second and the third AAV serotype.

14. The chimeric AAV capsid of any one of claims 1-13, wherein the first AAV serotype is different from the second, third, and/or fourth AAV serotype.

15. The chimeric AAV capsid of any one of claims 1-13, wherein the first AAV serotype is different from the second, third, and/or fourth AAV serotype.

16. The chimeric AAV capsid of any one of claims 1-15, wherein the first, second, third, and/or fourth AAV serotype is AAV5, AAV9, and/or AAVrhlO.

17. The chimeric AAV capsid of claim 16, wherein the second and third AAV serotypes are AAV9.

18. The chimeric AAV capsid of claim 16 or 17, wherein the first AAV serotype is AAV5.

19. The chimeric AAV capsid of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more VP3 VR sequence from one or more fifth AAV serotype is from an AAV5 and/or an AAV9 serotype.

20. The chimeric AAV capsid of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more VP3 VR sequence from one or more fifth AAV serotype comprises an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical to any one of the amino acid sequences selected from the group consisting of QSAQAQA (AAV9 VR-VIII), NSTSGGSS (AAV 9 VR-I), and NNQSSTT (AAV 5 VR-VIII) (SEQ ID NO:62-64), and any combination thereof.

21. The chimeric AAV capsid of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more VP3 VR sequence from one or more fifth AAV serotype comprises two or more VP3 VR sequence from one or more AAV serotype.

22. The chimeric AAV capsid of claim 21, wherein the two or more VP3 VR sequences are nested within each other to form a hydrophilic tertiary structure (e.g., a domain which sticks out from the surface of the AAV capsid and does not substantially affect the tertiary structure of said unmodified capsid).

23. The chimeric AAV capsid of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more VP3 VR sequence from one or more fifth AAV serotype comprises an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical to the amino acid sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOs:64- 70.

24. The chimeric AAV capsid of claim 1, comprising, consisting essentially of, or consisting of an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:77.

25. The chimeric AAV capsid of claim 1, comprising, consisting essentially of, or consisting of an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:78.

26. The chimeric AAV capsid of claim 1, comprising, consisting essentially of, or consisting of an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:79.

27. The chimeric AAV capsid of claim 1, comprising, consisting essentially of, or consisting of an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:81.

28. The chimeric AAV capsid of claim 1, comprising, consisting essentially of, or consisting of an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:83.

29. The chimeric AAV capsid of claim 1, comprising, consisting essentially of, or consisting of an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:85.

30. The chimeric AAV capsid of claim 1, comprising, consisting essentially of, or consisting of an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:87.

31. The chimeric AAV capsid of any one of claims 1-30, covalently linked, bound to, or encapsidating a compound selected from the group consisting of a DNA molecule, an RNA molecule, a polypeptide, a carbohydrate, a lipid, a small organic molecule, and any combination thereof.

32. An AAV particle comprising: the chimeric AAV capsid of any one of claims 1-31; and an AAV vector genome; wherein the AAV capsid encapsidates the AAV vector genome.

33. The AAV particle of claim 32, wherein the AAV vector genome comprises a heterologous nucleic acid molecule.

34. The AAV particle of claim 33, wherein the heterologous nucleic acid molecule encodes an antisense RNA, microRNA, or RNAi.

35. The AAV particle of claim 34, wherein the heterologous nucleic acid molecule encodes a polypeptide.

36. The AAV particle of claim 35, wherein the heterologous nucleic acid molecule encodes a therapeutic polypeptide.

37. A nucleic acid molecule encoding the chimeric AAV capsid of any one of claims 1- 31.

38. A vector comprising the nucleic acid molecule of claim 37.

39. The vector of claim 38, wherein the vector is a plasmid, phage, viral vector, bacterial artificial chromosome, or yeast artificial chromosome.

40. The vector of claim 39, wherein the viral vector is an AAV vector, an adenovirus vector, a herpesvirus vector, a lentivirus vector, an alphavirus vector or a baculovirus vector (e.g., an AAV particle, an adenovirus particle, a herpesvirus particle, a lentivirus particle, an alphavirus particle, a baculovirus particle, etc.).

41. The AAV vector of claim 40, wherein the nucleic acid molecule further comprises an AAV rep coding sequence.

42. A cell (e.g., an in vitro cell) comprising the chimeric capsid of any one of claims 1-31, the particle of any one of claims 32-36, the nucleic acid molecule of claim 37 or the vector of any one of claims 38-41.

43. The cell of claim 42, wherein the nucleic acid molecule is stably incorporated into the genome of the cell.

44. A method of producing a recombinant AAV particle comprising an AAV capsid, the method comprising: providing/introducing into a cell in vitro with the nucleic acid molecule of claim 37, an AAV rep coding sequence, an AAV vector genome comprising a heterologous nucleic acid molecule, and helper functions for generating a productive AAV infection under conditions whereby assembly of the recombinant AAV particle comprising the AAV capsid and encapsidation of the AAV vector genome can occur.

45. An AAV particle produced by the method of claim 44.

46. A pharmaceutical formulation or composition comprising the AAV particle of any one of claims 32-36 or 45, the nucleic acid of claim 37, and/or the vector of any one of claims 38-41 in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

47. A method of delivering a nucleic acid molecule to a cardiomyocyte, the method comprising contacting the cardiomyocyte with the AAV particle of any one of claims 32-36 or 45, the nucleic acid of claim 37, the vector of any one of claims 38-41, and/or the pharmaceutical formulation of claim 46.

48. A method of delivering a nucleic acid molecule to a cardiomyocyte in a mammalian subject, the method comprising: administering an effective amount of the AAV particle of any one of claims 32-36 or 45, the nucleic acid of claim 37, the vector of any one of claims 38-41, and/or the pharmaceutical formulation of claim 46 to a mammalian subject, thereby delivering the nucleic acid molecule to a cardiomyocyte in the mammalian subject.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the mammalian subject is a human subject.

50. The method of claim 48 or 49, wherein the AAV particle is delivered to the heart.

51. The method of claim 50 , wherein the AAV particle is delivered to the heart by intravenous injection, antegrade intracoronary injection, retrograde injection from coronary vein, intramyocardial injection, cardiac surgery with recirculating delivery, or any combination thereof.

52. A method of treating a disorder in a mammalian subject in need thereof, wherein the disorder is treatable by expressing a nucleic acid molecule encoding a therapeutic product in the heart of the subject, the method comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of the AAV particle of any one of claims 32-36 or 45, the nucleic acid of claim 37, the vector of any one of claims 38-41, and/or the pharmaceutical formulation of claim 46to the mammalian subject under conditions whereby the nucleic acid molecule encoding the therapeutic product is expressed in the heart, thereby treating the disorder.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the disorder is an inherited cardiomyopathy (e.g., hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM), left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy (LVNC), etc.), heart failure, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarct, arrhythmia, pulmonary heart disease, congenital heart disease, donor heart for transplant, carditis, rheumatic heart disease, trauma-related heart damage, aging-related heart disease, or any combination thereof.

54. The method of claim 52 or 53, wherein the mammalian subject has previously received gene therapy treatment with an AAV particle of a serotype that is not the serotype of a corresponding wildtype first AAV serotype.

55. The method of any one of claims 52-54, wherein the therapeutically effective amount of the AAV particle is between about 1 x 10¹² particles/kg to about 1 x 10¹⁴ particles/kg.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the therapeutically effective amount of the AAV particle is about 1.2 x 10¹³ particles/kg.