AAV-mediated expression of a new conformational anti-aggregated α-synuclein antibody prolongs survival in a genetic model of α-synucleinopathies

Prion-like transmission of pathology in alpha-synucleinopathies like Parkinson's disease or multiple system atrophy is increasingly recognized as one potential mechanism to address disease progression. Active and passive immunotherapies targeting insoluble, aggregated alpha-synuclein are already being actively explored in the clinic with mixed outcomes so far. Here, we report the identification of 306C7B3, a highly selective, aggregate-specific alpha-synuclein antibody with picomolar affinity devoid of binding to the monomeric, physiologic protein. 306C7B3 binding is Ser129-phosphorylation independent and shows high affinity to several different aggregated alpha-synuclein polymorphs, increasing the likelihood that it can also bind to the pathological seeds assumed to drive disease progression in patients. In support of this, highly selective binding to pathological aggregates in postmortem brains of MSA patients was demonstrated, with no staining in samples from other human neurodegenerative diseases. To achieve CNS exposure of 306C7B3, an adeno-associated virus (AAV) based approach driving expression of the secreted antibody within the brain of (Thy-1)-[A30P]-h alpha-synuclein mice was used. Widespread central transduction after intrastriatal inoculation was ensured by using the AAV2HBKO serotype, with transduction being spread to areas far away from the inoculation site. Treatment of (Thy-1)-[A30P]-h alpha-synuclein mice at the age of 12 months demonstrated significantly increased survival, with 306C7B3 concentration reaching 3.9 nM in the cerebrospinal fluid. These results suggest that AAV-mediated expression of 306C7B3, targeting extracellular, presumably disease-propagating aggregates of alpha-synuclein, has great potential as a disease-modifying therapy for alpha-synucleinopathies as it ensures CNS exposure of the antibody, thereby mitigating the selective permeability of the blood-brain barrier.

Automated summary

This paper identifies a highly selective, aggregate-specific alpha-synuclein antibody, 306C7B3, which can bind to various aggregated forms of alpha-synuclein. Through AAV-mediated expression, it shows potential as a disease-modifying therapy for alpha-synucleinopathies by ensuring widespread CNS exposure and significantly increasing survival in mice.