Method for enhanced uptake of viral vectors in the myocardium

Abstract

The present invention relates to improved therapies for the treatment of heart disease, particularly the improved delivery of therapeutic agents to heart tissue by direct infusion into the coronary circulation. A preferred embodiment of the invention is a method of treating or preventing a cardiovascular disease by transfecting cardiac cells of a large mammal, the method comprising, identifying a mammal in need of treatment or prevention of heart disease, supplying NO to the coronary circulation prior to, and/or during the infusion of a therapeutic polynucleotide into a blood vessel of the coronary circulation in vivo, where the therapeutic polynucleotide is infused into the blood vessel over a period of at least about three minutes, where the coronary circulation is not isolated or substantially isolated from the systemic circulation of the mammal; and where the therapeutic polynucleotide transfects cardiac cells of the animal resulting in the treatment or prevention of the heart disease.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of treating or preventing a cardiovascular disease by transfecting cardiac cells of a large mammal, the method comprising:
 identifying a mammal in need of treatment or prevention of a cardiovascular disease;   administering a vasodilating substance to said mammal sufficient to dilate a blood vessel of the coronary circulation; and   administering a therapeutic polynucleotide into a blood vessel of the coronary circulation in vivo;   wherein said therapeutic polynucleotide is infused into said blood vessel over a period of at least about three minutes, wherein the coronary circulation is not isolated or substantially isolated from the systemic circulation of the mammal, and wherein said therapeutic polynucleotide transfects cardiac cells of said mammal resulting in the treatment or prevention of said cardiovascular disease.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said vasodilating substance is a nitric oxide (NO) increasing substance. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said NO increasing substance is nitroglycerin. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said NO increasing substance is administered into a blood vessel of the coronary circulation. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said NO increasing substance is administered in a manner selected from the group consisting of: prior to said infusion of said therapeutic polynucleotide, concurrently with said infusion of said therapeutic polynucleotide, and prior to and concurrently with said infusion of said therapeutic polynucleotide. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said NO increasing substance is administered as a bolus injection not more than 5 minutes prior to said infusion of said therapeutic polynucleotide. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said NO increasing substance is administered as a bolus injection not more than 5 minutes prior to said infusion of said therapeutic polynucleotide and wherein said NO increasing substance is infused into said blood vessel concurrently with said infusion of said therapeutic polynucleotide over a period of at least about 10 minutes. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the NO increasing substance is about 50 μg to about 150 μg of nitroglycerin. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said administration of said NO increasing substance comprises antegrade epicardial coronary artery injection of 1.5 mL of a 100 μg/mL solution of nitroglycerin into at least one of a left or right coronary artery via percutaneous catheter over a period of less than 1 minute, wherein said administration of said NO increasing substance is less than 3 minutes prior to said infusion of said therapeutic polynucleotide, and wherein no other vasodilator or vascular permeation enhancer is administered to said mammal. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising infusing nitroglycerin into said blood vessel concurrently with said infusion of said therapeutic polynucleotide. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said mammal is a human and said cardiovascular disease is heart failure, wherein said therapeutic polynucleotide is packaged in a DNAse resistant particle (DRP) of a AAV2/1 viral vector, and a total number of DRP infused into said blood vessel is not more than about 1×10 13 , wherein the therapeutic polynucleotide comprises a SERCA2a coding sequence, wherein said blood vessel is at least one of the left or right coronary artery, and wherein said infusion of said therapeutic polynucleotide lasts at least about 10 minutes. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said treatment improves a measurement of absolute ejection fraction of said human's heart six months after said treatment as compared to a measurement of absolute ejection fraction of said human's heart prior to said treatment. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said NO increasing substance is administered systemically. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said NO increasing substance is administered systemically in a manner selected from the group consisting of: intravenous injection, intravenous infusion, oral administration, transdermal administration, and subcutaneous administration. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said NO increasing substance is administered in a manner selected from the group consisting of: prior to said infusion of said therapeutic polynucleotide, concurrently with said infusion of said therapeutic polynucleotide, and prior to and concurrently with said infusion of said therapeutic polynucleotide. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said NO increasing substance is nitroglycerin. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein about 0.5 mg to about 2.5 mg of nitroglycerin is administered by intravenous infusion over a period of at least 30 minutes prior to said infusion of said therapeutic polynucleotide, wherein said infusion of said therapeutic polynucleotide begins within not more than three minutes of the completion of said intravenous infusion of nitroglycerin, and wherein no other vasodilator or vascular permeation enhancer is administered to said mammal. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising infusing an additional amount of nitroglycerin concurrently with said infusion of said therapeutic polynucleotide. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said mammal is a human and said cardiovascular disease is heart failure, wherein said therapeutic polynucleotide is packaged in a DNAse resistant particle (DRP) of a AAV2/1 viral vector, and a total number of DRP infused into said blood vessel is not more than about 1×10 13 , wherein the therapeutic polynucleotide comprises a SERCA2a coding sequence, wherein said blood vessel is at least one of the left or right coronary artery, and wherein said infusion of said therapeutic polynucleotide lasts at least about 10 minutes. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said treatment improves a measurement of absolute ejection fraction of said human's heart six months after said treatment as compared to a measurement of absolute ejection fraction of said human's heart prior to said treatment.