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Table 2 Summary of the efficacy of the different intrabodies against HD

From: The P42 peptide and Peptide-based therapies for Huntington’s disease

Antibody

Target of the peptide

Model

Population

Way of administration

End point

Method of evaluation

Results

C4 intrabody

N17 terminal region

Cell culture (Lecerf et al., 2001) [44]

COS-7; BHK-21; HEK293

Co-transfection: hHtt17aa-25/73/103Q-GFP ± C4 intrabody (ratio 5:1)

Aggregation

% of aggregate-positive transfected cells

Reduction up to 86 %

Organotypic cultures (Murphy and Messer, 2004) [46]

Cortico-striatal slice cultures

Malonate treatment, and transfection with hHtt17aa-25/72Q-GFP ± C4 intrabody

Cell survival

% of co-transfected died or dying cells

Rescue to wt level

Drosophila model (Wolfgang et al., 2005) [45]

ELAV-Gal4; UAS-hHttex1-20/93Q;

Genetic cross: UAS-C4 intrabody”

Survival

% of survival to adult (eclosion); mean, median, and maximal lifespan

Increased survival to adulthood (from 23 % to 100 %); increased mean adult lifespan by 30-50 %

Aggregation; quantification of soluble polyQ forms

Immunostaining; detergent-soluble hHttex1-93Q detection (Western blot)

Slowing of visible aggregate formation. Increased levels of soluble Htt

Neurodegeneration

Photoreceptors/ommatidium quantification

Slowing of neurodegeneration in photoreceptors cells

Mouse model (Snyder-Keller et al., 2010) [47]

B6.HD6/1 125Q (hHttex1-125Q)

C4 intrabody with AAV vector into the striatum; presymptomatic (injection: wk5 to 8 ; killed at wk16 to 32); symptomatic (injection wk 10 to 24; killed 8 to 10 wk later)

Aggregation

Immunostainig: number and size aggregates

Pre-symptomatic and symptomatic effect: aggregate reduction (size > number), more important in pre-symptomatically treated mice

VL12.3 intrabody

N17 terminal region

Cell culture (Colby et al., 2004) [48]

HEK293

Co-tranfection: hHttex1-97Q-GFP + empty vector or VL12.3

Aggregation

Immunostaining

50 % reduction of aggregates vs empty vector

Cell culture (Southwell et al., 2008) [49]

HEK293

Co-transfection: hHttex1-103Q-GFP + empty vector or VL12.3

Aggregation

Immunostaining

Dose-dependent aggregate reduction

Cell survival

% of co-transfected dead cells

Reduced cell toxicity

Co-transfection: hHttex1-25/103Q-GFP + VL12.3

Quantification of soluble and insoluble hHttex1

Centrifugation and Immunoblot assay

Significant reduction of insoluble but not of soluble hHttex1-103Q levels

Co-transfection: hHttex1-103Q -SNAP tag ± VL12.3

hHttex1-103Q turnover

Fluorescence intensity of SNAP-tag

No effect on polyQ turnover

Cortico-striatal brain slice model (Southwell et al., 2008) [49]

Rat brain slices

Co-transfection: YFP as morphometric marker ± hHttex1-103Q -CFP ± VL12.3

Neurodegeneration

Immunostaining: counting of healthy striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs)

Rescue of neurodegeneration at the level of wt cells

ST14A striatal precursor cells

Co-transfection: hHttex1-103Q -GFP ± VL12.3

hHttex1-103Q localisation and turnover

Immunostaining: cytoplasmic/nuclear hHttex1-103Q ratio

Altered cytoplasmic/nuclear trafficking: significant increase of nuclear Htt

Mouse model (Southwell et al., 2009) [51]

C57BL/6 (lentiviral HD model)

HD model: Unilateral striatal injection: hHttex1-103Q -GFP or GFP lentivirus.Treatment: + VL12.3- AAV or GFP (4 wk-old mice). Tests 6wks later.

Amphetamine-induced rotation

Ipsilateral rotations tested during 30’ after intraperitoneal amphetamine injection.

Strong reduction of the number of ipsilateral rotations to the levels of GFP lentivirus injected animals

MSNs loss

DARPP-32 staining

Rescue to the levels of GFP lentivirus injected animals

Aggregation

Striatal immunostaining with anti-Htt MW8 (detect aggregates only)

Significant aggregate reduction vs AAV-GFP injected animals

YAC128 (Full length-hHtt-128Q)

2-months-old male mice and wt littermates injected bilaterally in the striatum with GFP- or VL12.3- AAV

Motor performances

Rotarod latency to fall (monthly from 3 to 7 months of age)

No effect

Beam-crossing performance (monthly from 3 to 7 months of age)

No effect

Climbing time (7-month-old mice)

No effect

Cognitive performances (spatial and cortical learning)

Novel object location and novel object preference tests (7-month-old mice)

No effect in both tests

Anxiety

Open field test

Non significant amelioration

Brain atrophy

Ventricular size assessment (7-month-old mice)

No effect

Body weight

Assessment monthly from 3 to 7 months of age

No effect

R6/2 (hhttex1- 144Q)

3-day-old male mice and wt littermates: bilateral injection at the center of each forebrain hemisphere of GFP- or VL12.3-AAV

Motor performances

Rotarod latency to fall (weekly from w4 to death)

Reduced latency to fall (wk 10 to 12)

Beam-crossing performance (weekly from w4 to death)

No rescue: Increased severity of the phenotype (time to cross the beam)

Brain atrophy

Ventricular size assessment (10-wk-old mice)

No effect

Body weight

Assessment weekly from 4 wk until death

No effect

Aggregation

Striatal immunostaining with anti-Htt MW8 (detect aggregates only) and nuclear marker; counting of positive foci (10 week-old mice)

Reduction of the number of neuropil aggregates; no significant reduction of intranuclear aggregates

Life span

Once ill, twice a day assessment of righting reflex

Aggravation and decrease survival

MW7 intrabody

Poly P region

Cell culture (Khoshnan et al., 2002) [50]

HEK293

Co-transfection: hHttex1-97Q-GFP and MW7 or empty vector

Aggregated/soluble Htt

Centrifugation, SDS treatment and western blotting

Reduction of both aggregated and soluble polyQHtt

Cell survival

TUNEL staining

33 % reduction of TUNEL positive cells

Cell culture (Southwell et al., 2008) [49]

HEK293

Co-transfection: hHttex1-103Q-GFP + empty vector or MW7

Aggregation

Immunostaining

Aggregate reduction with a threshold-effect

Cell survival

% of co-transfected dead cells

Reduced cell toxicity

Co-transfection: hHttex1-25/103Q-GFP + MW7

Quantification of soluble and insoluble hHttex1

Centrifugation and Immunoblot essay

Significant reduction of both soluble and insoluble hHttex1-103Q; no effect on soluble wt hHttex1-25Q

Co-transfection: hHttex1-103Q-SNAP tag ± MW7

hHttex1-103Q turnover

Fluorescence intensity of SNAP tag

Significant decreased fluorescence (increased hHttex1-103Q turnover)

Cortico-striatal brain slice model (Southwell et al., 2008) [49]

Rat brain slices

Co-transfection: YFP ± hHttex1-103Q -CFP ± MW7

Neurodegeneration

Immunostaining: counting of healthy MSNs

Non-significant reduction of neurodegeneration

ST14A striatal precursor

Co-transfection: hHttex1-103Q -GFP ± MW7

hHttex1-103Q localisation and turnover

Immunostaining: cytoplasmic/nuclear hHttex1-103Q ratio

No effect

Happ1-Happ3 antibodies

Poly P region

Cell culture (Southwell 2008) [49]

HEK293

Co-transfection: hHttex1-103Q-GFP + empty vector or Happ1-Happ3

Aggregation

Immunostaining

Dose-dependent aggregate reduction

Cell survival

% of co-transfected dead cells

Reduced cell toxicity

Co-transfection: hHttex1-25/103Q-GFP + Happ1-Happ3

Quantification of soluble and insoluble hHttex1

Centrifugation and Immunoblot essay

Significant reduction of both soluble and insoluble hHttex1-103Q; no effect on soluble wt hHttex1-25Q

Co-transfection: hHttex1-103Q-SNAP tag ± Happ1-Happ3

hHttex1-103Q turnover

Fluorescence intensity of SNAP tag

Significant decreased fluorescence (increased hHttex1-103Q turnover)

Cortico-striatal brain slice model (Southwell et al., 2008) [49]

Rat brain slices

Co-transfection: YFP as morphometric marker ± hHttex1-103Q -CFP ± Happ1-Happ3

Neurodegeneration

Immunostaining: counting of MSNs

Significant reduction of neurodegeneration

ST14A striatal precursor

Co-transfection: hHttex1-103Q -GFP ± Happ1-Happ3

hHttex1-103Q localisation and turnover

Immunostaining: cytoplasmic/nuclear hHttex1-103Q ratio

No effect

Mouse model (Southwell et al., 2009) [51]

C57BL/6 (lentiviral HD model)

HD model: Unilateral striatal injection: hHttex1-103Q -GFP or GFP lentivirus.Treatment: + GFP- or Happ1- AAV (4 wk-old mice). Tests 6wks later.

Amphetamine-induced rotation,

Ipsilateral rotations tested during 30’ after intraperitoneal amphetamine injection.

Strong reduction of the number of ipsilateral rotations to the levels of GFP lentivirus injected animals

MSNs loss

DARPP-32 staining

Rescue to the levels of GFP lentivirus injected animals

Aggregation

Striatal immunostaining with anti-Htt MW8 (detect aggregates only) and nuclear marker; counting of positive foci.

Significant aggregate reduction vs AAV-GFP injected animals

YAC128 (Full length-hHtt-128Q)

2-months-old male mice and wt littermates injected bilaterally in the striatum with GFP- or Happ1- AAV

Motor performances

Rotarod latency to fall (monthly from 3 to 7 months of age)

Improvement in 3-, 4-, and 7 –month-old mice

Beam-crossing performance (monthly from 3 to 7 months of age)

Partial improvement

Climbing (7-month-old mice)

Increased climbing time to the level of wt littermates

Cognitive performances (spatial and cortical learning)

Novel object location and novel object preference tests (7-month-old mice)

Significant amelioration of spatial and cortical learning

Anxiety

Open field test

Rescue to the level of wt littermates

Brain atrophy

Ventricular size assessment (7-month-old mice)

Reduction of ventricular size

Body weight

Assessment monthly from 3 to 7 months of age

No effect

R6/2 (hhttex1- 144Q)

3-day-old male mice and wt littermates: bilateral injection at the center of each forebrain hemisphere of GFP- or Happ-AAV

Motor performances

Rotarod latency to fall (weekly from 4 wk until death)

Amelioration (between w9 and 12 of age) vs GFP-AVV injected animals.

Beam-crossing performance (weekly from 4 wk until death)

Reduction of the time to cross the 12 mm beam in 10- and 11-week-old mice, and the 6 mm beam between 9 and 11 weeks of age

Brain atrophy

Ventricular size assessment (10-wk-old mice)

Reduction of ventricular size to the level of wt littermates

Body weight

Assessment weekly from 4 wk until death

No effect

Aggregation

Striatal immunostaining with anti-Htt MW8 (detect aggregates only) and nuclear marker; counting of positive foci (10 week-old mice).

Reduction of the number of both neuropil and intranuclear aggregates.

Life span

Once ill, twice a day assessment of righting reflex

No effect

N171-82Q: hHtt171aa-82Q

Four-week old male mice and wt littermates: bilateral striatal injection of GFP- or Happ1-AAV

Motor performances

Latency to fall with accelerating rotarod (every 2 wks from wk6 until death)

Significant improvement from wk 20 to 40 at the level of wt mice

Beam-crossing performance (every 2 wks from wk6 until death)

Significant improvement with reduction of time to cross the three beams vs GFP-AAV treated and wt mice.

Clasping (22-week-old mice)

Attenuation of clasping behavior

Body weight

Assessment every 2 wks from wk6 until death

Increased weight vs GFP-AAV treated but not to the level of wt littermates (from wk 22)

Life span

Once ill, twice a day assessment of righting reflex

33 % increase of maximum life-span (from 30 to 40 wk) vs GFP-AAV treated mice.

BACHD: Full-length- hHtt-97Q-

2-months-old male mice and wt littermates: bilateral striatal injection of GFP- or Happ1-AAV

Motor performances

Rotarod latency to fall (monthly from month 3 to 6)

Increased latency to fall in 5- and 6- month-old mice

Beam-crossing performances (monthly from month 3 to 6)

Decrease time to cross the beams at 5 and 6 months (28 mm beam) and at month 6 (6 mm beam)

Climbing time (6-month-old mice)

Increased climbing time vs GFP treatment

Cognitive performances (spatial and cortical learning)

Novel object location and novel object preference tests (6-month-old mice)

No effect

Anxiety

Open field test

Significant effect vs GFP-AAV treated mice

Brain atrophy

Ventricular size assessment (6-month-old mice)

Reduction of ventricular size

Body weight

Assessment monthly (from 3 to 6 months of age)

No effect

mEM48 intrabody (Wang et al., 2008) [52]

VA residues after the polyP region

Cell culture

HEK293

Co-transfection: hHtt208aa 23/130Q ± EM48

Cell survival

% of co-transfected dead cells

Improved cell viability

Rat cortical neurons

Co-transfection: hHtt208aa 23/130Q ± EM48

Neuritic disruption and pyknotic nuclei

Neuronal morphology

Significant reduction of transfected neurons with disrupted neurites or fragmented nuclei

PC12 cells

Transfection of hHtt208aa 23/130Q ± AAV-EM48

Neuropil aggregates

Immunostaining

Significant reduction of neuropil aggregates

Mouse model

R6/2 (hhttex1- 144Q)

Intrastriatal injection of helper dependent AAV EM48 (7-wk-old mice)

Neuropil aggregates

Immunostaining (4 wk after injection)

Significant less neuropil aggregates vs non injected region; no effect on intranuclear inclusion

N171-82Q

Bilateral striatal injection of helper dependent AAV EM48 (10-wk-old mice)

Neuropil aggregates

Immunostaining (6 wk after injection)

Significant less neuropil aggregates vs non injected region; no effect on intranuclear inclusions

Motor performances

Stride length (8-wk post injection)

Improvement

Rotarod latency to fall (8-wk post injection)

Significant improvement

Body weight

 

No effect

Survival

 

No effect

Monoclonal antibodies 1C2 (Heiser et al., 2000 [43]; Trottier et al., 1995) [42]

PolyQ chain (soluble)

Cell culture

COS-1

Co-transfection: hHttex1-51Q ± 1C2

Aggregation

Filter retardation assay

Up to 85 % reduction in aggregates

  1. Legend: To characterize Htt fragments we use the general indication HttXaa-YQ: the length of the fragment is expressed as a number X of amino acids (aa) (superimposed); the length of polyQ expansion is expressed as a number Y of Q.