Non-invasive delivery of small interfering ribonucleic acid for reduction of Huntingtin expression in the brain is achieved using focused ultrasound to disrupt the blood-brain barrier

Abstract

Huntington’s disease is caused by a mutation in the Huntingtin (Htt) gene, which leads to neuronal dysfunction and cell death. Silencing of the Htt gene can halt or reverse the progression of the disease indicating that RNA interference is the most effective strategy for disease treatment. However, small interfering RNA (siRNA) does not cross the blood-brain barrier and therefore delivery to the brain is limited. Here, we demonstrate that focused ultrasound (FUS), combined with intravascular delivery of microbubble contrast agent, was used to locally and transiently disrupt the BBB in the right striatum of adult rats. 48 hours following treatment with siRNA, the right (treated) and left (control) striatum was dissected and analyzed for Htt mRNA levels. We demonstrate that FUS can non-invasively deliver siRNA-Htt directly to the striatum leading to a significant reduction of Htt expression in a dose dependent manner. Furthermore, we show that reduction of Htt with siRNA-Htt was greater when the extent of BBB disruption was increased. This study demonstrates that siRNA treatment for knockdown of mutant Htt is feasible without the surgical intervention previously required for direct delivery to the brain. Non-invasive delivery of siRNA through the blood-brain barrier (BBB) would be a significant advantage for translating this therapy to HD patients.