%0 Journal Article
%T A Novel Adeno-Associated Viral Variant for Efficient and Selective Intravitreal Transduction of Rat M¨šller Cells
%A Ryan R. Klimczak
%A James T. Koerber
%A Deniz Dalkara
%A John G. Flannery
%A David V. Schaffer
%J PLOS ONE
%D 2012
%I Public Library of Science (PLoS)
%R 10.1371/journal.pone.0007467
%X The pathologies of numerous retinal degenerative diseases can be attributed to a multitude of genetic factors, and individualized treatment options for afflicted patients are limited and cost-inefficient. In light of the shared neurodegenerative phenotype among these disorders, a safe and broad-based neuroprotective approach would be desirable to overcome these obstacles. As a result, gene delivery of secretable-neuroprotective factors to M¨šller cells, a type of retinal glia that contacts all classes of retinal neurons, represents an ideal approach to mediate protection of the entire retina through a simple and innocuous intraocular, or intravitreal, injection of an efficient vehicle such as an adeno-associated viral vector (AAV). Although several naturally occurring AAV variants have been isolated with a variety of tropisms, or cellular specificities, these vectors inefficiently infect M¨šller cells via intravitreal injection.
%U http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0007467