Patent attributes
Disclosed are capsid-mutated rAAV vectors and methods for their use in gene therapy, and particularly for use in delivering therapeutic transgenes to treat a variety of mammalian diseases and disorders, including dysfunctions and abnormal conditions of the human eye. VP3 capsid proteins comprising a modification of one or more of the surface-exposed tyrosine residues are disclosed, and in particular, VP3 capsid protein comprising tyrosine-to-phenylalanine mutations at positions corresponding to Y444F, Y500F, and Y730F of the wild-type AAV2 sequence. Also provided are rAAV virions and viral particles that comprise such a mutated AAV capsid protein and a nucleic acid molecule that expresses one or more selected therapeutic or reporter transgenes in one or more mammalian cells of interest. Advantageously, the capsid-mutated rAAV vectors and virions disclosed herein afford improved transduction efficiency in a variety of cells, tissues and organs of interest, when compared to their unmodified (i.e., wild-type) rAAV vector counterparts.
