STRC Research

Adenoviral-mediated gene transfer into the scala media of the mouse cochlea in vivo.

2 min read

What they found

TL;DR (qwen3.6:35b): Researchers compared microinjection routes for adenovirus in mouse cochleas and found that a stylomastoid foramen cochleostomy successfully delivered the virus to the scala media and organ of Corti, unlike round window or semicircular canal approaches. This method enables targeted gene transfer to specific inner ear compartments while preserving some hearing.

Gene therapy may provide a way to restore inner ear function to deaf and dizzy patients. The mouse is a crucial model system for functional genomics because of the numerous genetic models for hearing loss and inner ear dysfunction. Using an advance generation, E1-/E3-/E2b-(preterminal protein-/polymerase-) Type 5 Adenovirus, we investigated several routes of virus microinjection to determine which were most reproducible in targeting the endolymphatic fluid compartment of the cochlea. We found that when adenovirus is injected via the round window, transduced cells are found only adjacent to the scala tympani and not in the organ of Corti, suggesting that Adenovirus is unable to penetrate the basilar membrane or bony wall of the modiolus. Delivery to the cochlea via the semicircular canals is also inefficient. In contrast, our new method, via a stylomastoid foramen cochleostomy, increases the likelihood of adenovirus gene transfer to the scala media including cells in the organ of Corti and stria vascularis while preserving some hearing. The ability to target delivery of virus and other therapeutic reagents to specific inner ear fluid compartments will facilitate in vivo testing of candidate molecules implicated in multiple aspects of inner ear physiology and regeneration.

How this applies to our program

This establishes a viable in vivo delivery vector for testing STRC/DFNB16 gene therapy candidates directly in the target hair cell and supporting cell regions. It provides a reproducible method to evaluate therapeutic efficacy and safety in the endolymphatic environment where STRC functions.

Key numbers

  • Type 5 Adenovirus used
  • 3 injection routes tested
  • 1 successful method identified

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