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Purpose: To determine the retinal disease expression in the rare form of Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) caused by Lebercilin (LCA5) mutation., Methods: Two young unrelated LCA patients, ages six years (P1) and 25 years (P2) at last visit, both with the same homozygous mutation in the LCA5 gene, were evaluated clinically and with noninvasive studies. En face imaging was performed with near-infrared (NIR) reflectance and autofluorescence (AF); cross-sectional retinal images were obtained with optical coherence tomography (OCT). Dark-adapted thresholds were measured in the older patient; and the transient pupillary light reflex was recorded and quantified in both patients., Results: Both LCA5 patients had light perception vision only, hyperopia, and nystagmus. P1 showed a prominent central island of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) surrounded by alternating elliptical-appearing areas of decreased and increased pigmentation. Retinal laminar architecture at and near the fovea was abnormal in both patients. Foveal outer nuclear layer (ONL) was present in P1 and P2 but to different degrees. With increasing eccentricity, there was retinal laminar disorganization. Regions of pericentral and midperipheral retina in P1, but not P2, could retain measurable ONL and less laminopathy. P2 had a small central island of perception with >5 log units of sensitivity loss. Pupillary responsiveness was present in both LCA5 patients; the thresholds were abnormally elevated by >or=5.5 log units., Conclusions: LCA5 patients had evidence of retained photoreceptors mainly in the central retina. Retinal remodeling was present in pericentral regions in both patients. The NIR reflectance and NIR-AF imaging in the younger patient suggested preserved RPE in retinal regions with retained photoreceptors. Detailed phenotype studies in other LCA5 patients with longitudinal follow-up will help determine the feasibility of future intervention in this rare disease.

Purpose: To quantify the residual vision in Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) caused by RPE65 mutations., Methods: Patients with RPE65-LCA (n = 30; ages, 4-55) were studied using electroretinography (ERG), full-field stimulus testing (FST), kinetic and static threshold perimetry, and optical coherence tomography (OCT)., Results: All patients with RPE65-LCA had abnormal ERGs even at the youngest ages. There were no detectable rod ERGs and only reduced cone ERGs. By chromatic FST, however, 59% of patients had measurable rod- and cone-mediated function. The remaining 41% had only cone-mediated function. Extent of kinetic fields varied widely in the first two decades of life but, by the end of the third decade, there was very little measurable field. Regional patterns of visual loss were evident using dark-adapted static threshold perimetry. The mildest dysfunctions showed relatively homogeneous sensitivity loss beyond the central field. Mid-peripheral dysfunction was a later feature; finally, only central and peripheral islands remained. Colocalized measures of visual function and retinal structure by OCT showed that visual function was detectable when a photoreceptor layer was detectable., Conclusions: Residual rod as well as cone function is detectable in RPE65-LCA. The finding of different regional patterns of visual loss in these patients suggests that the optimal retinal site(s) for subretinal gene delivery to achieve efficacy are likely to change with disease progression.

Purpose: To study the topography of photoreceptor loss early in the course of Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) caused by RPE65 mutations., Methods: Young patients with RPE65-LCA (n = 9; ages, 6-17 years) were studied with optical coherence tomography (OCT) in a wide region of central retina. Outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness was mapped topographically and compared with that in normal subjects and in older patients with RPE65-LCA., Results: Photoreceptor layer topography was abnormal in all young patients with RPE65-LCA. Foveal and extrafoveal ONL was reduced in most patients. There were interindividual differences, with ONL thicknesses at most retinal locations ranging from near the detectability limit to a significant fraction of normal. These differences were not clearly related to age. In most patients, there was a thinner ONL inferior to the fovea compared with that in the superior retina. Summary maps obtained by aligning and averaging photoreceptor topography across all young patients showed a relative preservation of ONL in the superior-temporal and temporal pericentral retina. These retinal regions also showed the greatest magnitude of interindividual variation., Conclusions: Photoreceptor loss in the foveal and extrafoveal retina was prominent, even in the youngest patients studied. Differences in the topography of residual photoreceptors in children with RPE65-LCA suggest that it may be advisable to use individualized ONL mapping to guide the location of subretinal injections for gene therapy and thereby maximize the potential for efficacy.

Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) is a group of autosomal recessive blinding retinal diseases that are incurable. One molecular form is caused by mutations in the RPE65 (retinal pigment epithelium-specific 65-kDa) gene. A recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype 2 (rAAV2) vector, altered to carry the human RPE65 gene (rAAV2-CBSB-hRPE65), restored vision in animal models with RPE65 deficiency. A clinical trial was designed to assess the safety of rAAV2-CBSB-hRPE65 in subjects with RPE65-LCA. Three young adults (ages 21-24 years) with RPE65-LCA received a uniocular subretinal injection of 5.96 x 10(10) vector genomes in 150 microl and were studied with follow-up examinations for 90 days. Ocular safety, the primary outcome, was assessed by clinical eye examination. Visual function was measured by visual acuity and dark-adapted full-field sensitivity testing (FST); central retinal structure was monitored by optical coherence tomography (OCT). Neither vector-related serious adverse events nor systemic toxicities were detected. Visual acuity was not significantly different from baseline; one patient showed retinal thinning at the fovea by OCT. All patients self-reported increased visual sensitivity in the study eye compared with their control eye, especially noticeable under reduced ambient light conditions. The dark-adapted FST results were compared between baseline and 30-90 days after treatment. For study eyes, sensitivity increases from mean baseline were highly significant (p < 0.001); whereas, for control eyes, sensitivity changes were not significant (p = 0.99). Comparisons are drawn between the present work and two other studies of ocular gene therapy for RPE65-LCA that were carried out contemporaneously and reported.

The RPE65 gene encodes the isomerase of the retinoid cycle, the enzymatic pathway that underlies mammalian vision. Mutations in RPE65 disrupt the retinoid cycle and cause a congenital human blindness known as Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA). We used adeno-associated virus-2-based RPE65 gene replacement therapy to treat three young adults with RPE65-LCA and measured their vision before and up to 90 days after the intervention. All three patients showed a statistically significant increase in visual sensitivity at 30 days after treatment localized to retinal areas that had received the vector. There were no changes in the effect between 30 and 90 days. Both cone- and rod-photoreceptor-based vision could be demonstrated in treated areas. For cones, there were increases of up to 1.7 log units (i.e., 50 fold); and for rods, there were gains of up to 4.8 log units (i.e., 63,000 fold). To assess what fraction of full vision potential was restored by gene therapy, we related the degree of light sensitivity to the level of remaining photoreceptors within the treatment area. We found that the intervention could overcome nearly all of the loss of light sensitivity resulting from the biochemical blockade. However, this reconstituted retinoid cycle was not completely normal. Resensitization kinetics of the newly treated rods were remarkably slow and required 8 h or more for the attainment of full sensitivity, compared with <1 h in normal eyes. Cone-sensitivity recovery time was rapid. These results demonstrate dramatic, albeit imperfect, recovery of rod- and cone-photoreceptor-based vision after RPE65 gene therapy.

Mutations in the centrosomal-ciliary gene CEP290/NPHP6 are associated with Joubert syndrome and are the most common cause of the childhood recessive blindness known as Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA). An in-frame deletion in Cep290 shows rapid degeneration in the rod-rich mouse retina. To explore the mechanisms of the human retinal disease, we studied CEP290-LCA in patients of different ages (7-48 years) and compared results to Cep290-mutant mice. Unexpectedly, blind CEP290-mutant human retinas retained photoreceptor and inner laminar architecture in the cone-rich central retina, independent of severity of visual loss. Surrounding the cone-rich island was photoreceptor loss and distorted retina, suggesting neural-glial remodeling. The mutant mouse retina at 4-6 weeks of age showed similar features of retinal remodeling, with altered neural and synaptic laminae and Muller glial activation. The visual brain pathways in CEP290-LCA were anatomically intact. Our findings of preserved foveal cones and visual brain anatomy in LCA with CEP290 mutations, despite severe blindness and rapid rod cell death, suggest an opportunity for visual restoration of central vision in this common form of inherited blindness., (2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Purpose: To determine the treatment potential in Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) resulting from an RPGRIP1 (retinitis pigmentosa GTPase regulating-interacting protein 1) mutation, a form of LCA with recent gene therapy success in an animal model., Design: Case report of a rare genetic eye disease investigated for intervention potential., Participants: A 19-year-old man with LCA., Methods: We studied the retinal structure and function in an LCA patient with a novel homozygous Val1211Glu mutation in the RPGRIP1 gene using optical coherence tomography and colocalized dark-adapted thresholds., Main Outcome Measure: Optical coherence tomography results., Results: Central retinal laminar architecture was preserved, and there was a measurable outer nuclear layer. The retained retinal structure corresponded to the region of visual sensitivity. With increasing eccentricity, there was no measurable visual function, and retinal laminar disorganization suggested a remodeling process., Conclusions: The RPGRIP1-LCA patient has treatment potential for a gene replacement strategy if targeted to central, but not pericentral or peripheral, retina. The results differ from similarly studied RPE65-LCA and CRB1-LCA patients. Preclinical progress toward therapy in LCA patients warrants detailed structure-function studies in humans to determine feasibility and candidacy for clinical trials.

Purpose: Human blindness caused by mutation of visual cycle genes has been discussed as potentially treatable by retinoid replacement either through gene transfer or pharmacological bypass. Mutations in the RDH12 gene disrupt the visual cycle in vitro, but little is known of the in vivo effects of mutant RDH12, other than the association with severe early-onset autosomal recessive retinal disease. The relationship of retinal organization and visual function in patients with RDH12 mutations was determined and comparisons made with the disease from mutations in another visual cycle gene, RPE65., Methods: Young patients with RDH12 mutations were studied with optical coherence tomography (OCT) and colocalized measures of vision with dark-adapted absolute thresholds. Results were compared to those in patients with RPE65 mutations., Results: Retinal architecture of patients with RDH12 mutations was appreciably distorted, precluding identification of the normal laminae. Some RDH12-mutant retinas were remarkably thick and others were thin, but all had the same dysplastic pattern. A comparison with the structural and functional consequences in patients with mutations in RPE65 indicated that the pathogenesis of retinal degeneration in RDH12 mutations was distinctly different., Conclusions: The results demand critical consideration of the human disease mechanism and the therapeutic approach in patients with mutations in the putative visual cycle gene RDH12.

Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) is a molecularly heterogeneous disease group that leads to blindness. LCA caused by RPE65 mutations has been studied in animal models and vision has been restored by subretinal delivery of AAV-RPE65 vector. Human ocular gene transfer trials are being considered. Our safety studies of subretinal AAV-2/2.RPE65 in RPE65-mutant dogs showed evidence of modest photoreceptor loss in the injection region in some animals at higher vector doses. We now test the hypothesis that there can be vectorrelated toxicity to the normal monkey, with its human-like retina. Good Laboratory Practice safety studies following single intraocular injections of AAV-2/2.RPE65 in normal cynomolgus monkeys were performed for 1-week and 3-month durations. Systemic toxicity was not identified. Ocular-specific studies included clinical examinations, electroretinography, and retinal histopathology. Signs of ocular inflammation postinjection had almost disappeared by 1 week. At 3 months, electroretinography in vector-injected eyes was no different than in vehicle-injected control eyes or compared with presurgical recordings. Healed sites of retinal perforation from subretinal injections were noted clinically and by histopathology. Foveal architecture in subretinally injected eyes, vector or vehicle, could be abnormal. Morphometry of central retina showed no photoreceptor layer thickness abnormalities occurring in a dose-dependent manner. Vector sequences were present in the injected retina, vitreous, and optic nerve at 1 week but not consistently in the brain. At 3 months, there were no vector sequences in optic nerve and brain. The results allow for consideration of an upper range for no observed adverse effect level in future human trials of subretinal AAV-2/2.RPE65. The potential value of foveal treatment for LCA and other retinal degenerations warrants further research into how to achieve gene transfer without retinal injury from surgical detachment of the retina.

Mutations in RPE65, a gene essential to normal operation of the visual (retinoid) cycle, cause the childhood blindness known as Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA). Retinal gene therapy restores vision to blind canine and murine models of LCA. Gene therapy in blind humans with LCA from RPE65 mutations may also have potential for success but only if the retinal photoreceptor layer is intact, as in the early-disease stage-treated animals. Here, we use high-resolution in vivo microscopy to quantify photoreceptor layer thickness in the human disease to define the relationship of retinal structure to vision and determine the potential for gene therapy success. The normally cone photoreceptor-rich central retina and rod-rich regions were studied. Despite severely reduced cone vision, many RPE65-mutant retinas had near-normal central microstructure. Absent rod vision was associated with a detectable but thinned photoreceptor layer. We asked whether abnormally thinned RPE65-mutant retina with photoreceptor loss would respond to treatment. Gene therapy in Rpe65(-/-) mice at advanced-disease stages, a more faithful mimic of the humans we studied, showed success but only in animals with better-preserved photoreceptor structure. The results indicate that identifying and then targeting retinal locations with retained photoreceptors will be a prerequisite for successful gene therapy in humans with RPE65 mutations and in other retinal degenerative disorders now moving from proof-of-concept studies toward clinical trials.

The visual (retinoid) cycle, the enzymatic pathway that regenerates chromophore after light absorption, is located primarily in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and is essential for rod photoreceptor survival. Whether this pathway also is essential for cone photoreceptor survival is unknown, and there are no data from man or monkey to address this question. The visual cycle is naturally disrupted in humans with Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), which is caused by mutations in RPE65, the gene that encodes the retinoid isomerase. We investigated such patients over a wide age range (3-52 years) for effects on the cone-rich human fovea. In vivo microscopy of the fovea showed that, even at the youngest ages, patients with RPE65-LCA exhibited cone photoreceptor loss. This loss was incomplete, however, and residual cone photoreceptor structure and function persisted for decades. Basic questions about localization of RPE65 and isomerase activity in the primate eye were addressed by examining normal macaque. RPE65 was definitively localized by immunocytochemistry to the central RPE and, by immunoblotting, appeared to concentrate in the central retina. The central retinal RPE layer also showed a 4-fold higher retinoid isomerase activity than more peripheral RPE. Early cone photoreceptor losses in RPE65-LCA suggest that robust RPE65-based visual chromophore production is important for cones; the residual retained cone structure and function support the speculation that alternative pathways are critical for cone photoreceptor survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: AAV2 delivery of the RPE65 cDNA to the retina of blind RPE65-deficient dogs or rd12 mice restores vision as determined electrophysiologically and behaviorally. This strategy is being considered for human trials in RPE65-associated Leber congenital amaurosis, but safety and dose-efficacy within a non-toxic range with this vector have not been defined. Here we report the results of toxicology and biodistribution studies in two mammalian species, dogs and rats. Methods: Vector related pathology and spread after subretinal delivery of AAV2-CBA-RPE65 was studied in RPE65-mutant dogs and normal Spague-Dawley rats. Doses of vector delivered bracketed those intended for the clinical study. Results: There was no systemic toxicity at any vector dose in either species. In dogs ocular examinations showed mild or moderate inflammation that resolved over an initial 3-month period. Retinal histopathology indicated that traumatic lesions from the injection were common, but retinal thinning within the injection region only occurred at the highest vector doses. Biodistribution studies were also performed in RPE65-mutant dogs at various times after vector injection and in normal rats at about 2 weeks and 2 months post-injection. Vector DNA was not widespread outside the injected eye with blood and gonadal tissue consistently negative. Concomitant dose-response results in the RPE65-mutant dogs indicated that the highest 1.5 log unit range of vector doses was efficacious. Conclusions: Given the efficacy and toxicity limits defined in this study, a range for safe vector dose escalation of subretinal AAV2-CBA-RPE65 is suggested for initial human trials.Molecular Therapy (2006) 13, S339–S339; doi: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2006.08.970 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]