Complete prevention of atherosclerosis in apoE-deficient mice by hepatic human apoE gene transfer with adeno-associated virus serotypes 7 and 8. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol

Objective—Using intravenous injection of adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors based on novel serotypes 7 and 8, we examined whether liver-specific expression of human apolipoprotein E (apoE) in apoE-deficient mice would completely prevent atherosclerosis after 1 year of sustained expression. Methods and Results—Chow-fed apoE/ mice were injected via the tail vein with vectors based on AAV2 or novel serotypes AAV7 and AAV8 encoding human apoE3 driven by a liver-specific promoter. In contrast to the first-generation AAV2 vector, apoE levels of mice injected with chimeric AAV2/7 and AAV2/8 vectors reached 2-fold greater than normal human plasma levels by week 4 and maintained therapeutic levels up to 1 year. Cholesterol levels of AAV2/7-apoE and AAV2/8-apoE–treated mice were reduced to normal murine wild-type levels and were maintained for 1 year. At termination after 1 year, extensive atherosclerosis was present in the thoracic aortas and aortic roots of control AAV2/8-lacZ and AAV2-apoE–injected mice, but was completely prevented in both the AAV2/7 and AAV2/8-apoE–treated mice. Conclusion—We demonstrate that intravenous administration of AAV2/7- and AAV2/8-apoE vectors effectively mediated robust and sustained hepatic-specific expression of apoE and completely prevented atherosclerosis at 1 year. (Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2006;26:1852-1857.) Key Words: adeno-associated virus apolipoprotein E atherosclerosis gene therap