Inflammation-inducible anti-TNF gene expression mediated by intra-articular injection of serotype 5 adeno-associated virus reduces arthritis

Background: The tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α plays a central role in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and current biotherapies targeting TNF-α have a major impact on RA treatment. The long-term safety concerns associated with the repetitive TNF blockade prompt optimization of therapeutic anti-TNF approaches. Since we recently demonstrated that intra-articular gene transfer using a recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype 5 (rAAV5) efficiently transduces arthritic joints, we evaluate its effect on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) when encoding TNF antagonists. Methods: Recombinant AAV5 vectors encoding the human TNFRp55 extracellular domain fused to the Fc region of mice IgG1 (TR1) or a small molecular weight dimeric human TNFRp75 extracellular domain (TR2), under two different promoters, the CMV or a chimeric NF-κB-based promoter inducible by inflammation, were injected into mouse CIA joints. Results: Best protection against arthritis was obtained with the rAAV5 encoding the TR1, as reflected by delayed disease onset, decreased incidence and severity of joint damage. This effect was associated with a transient expression of the anti-TNF agent when expressed under a NF-κB-responsive promoter, only detectable during disease flare, while the antagonist expression was rapidly increased and stable when expressed from a CMV promoter. Importantly, using the intra-articular administration of the rAAV5-NF-κB-TR1 vector, we observed a striking correlation between local TR1 expression and inflammation. Conclusions: These findings strongly support the feasibility of improving the safety of anti-TNF approaches for the treatment of arthritis by local rAAV5-mediated gene expression under an inflammation-responsive promoter, able to provide a limited, transient and therapeutically relevant expression of anti-TNF compounds.