Isolation of Next-Generation Gene Therapy Vectors through Engineering, Barcoding, and Screening of Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) Capsid Variants.

Gene delivery vectors derived from Adeno-associated virus (AAV) are one of the most promising tools for the treatment of genetic diseases, evidenced by encouraging clinical data and the approval of several AAV gene therapies. Two major reasons for the success of AAV vectors are (i) the prior isolation of various naturally occurring viral serotypes with distinct properties, and (ii) the subsequent establishment of powerful technologies for their molecular engineering and repurposing in high throughput. Further boosting the potential of these techniques are recently implemented strategies for barcoding selected AAV capsids on the DNA and RNA level, permitting their comprehensive and parallel in vivo stratification in all major organs and cell types in a single animal.

Boosters for adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector (r)evolution.

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is one of the most exciting and most versatile templates for engineering of gene-delivery vectors for use in human gene therapy, owing to the existence of numerous naturally occurring capsid variants and their amenability to directed molecular evolution. As a result, the field has witnessed an explosion of novel "designer" AAV capsids and ensuing vectors over the last two decades, which have been isolated from comprehensive capsid libraries generated through technologies such as DNA shuffling or peptide display, and stratified under stringent positive and/or negative selection pressures. Here, we briefly highlight a panel of recent, innovative and transformative methodologies that we consider to have exceptional potential to advance directed AAV capsid evolution and to thereby accelerate AAV vector revolution.

Auto-Regulation of the Thyroid Gland Beyond Classical Pathways.

This mini-review asks how self-regulation of the thyroid gland is realized at the cellular and molecular levels by canonical and non-canonical means. Canonical pathways of thyroid regulation comprise thyroid stimulating hormone-triggered receptor signaling. As part of non-canonical regulation, we hypothesized an interplay between protease-mediated thyroglobulin processing and thyroid hormone release into the circulation by means of thyroid hormone transporters like Mct8.

Treatment of rat thyrocytes in vitro with cathepsin B and L inhibitors results in disruption of primary cilia leading to redistribution of the trace amine associated receptor 1 to the endoplasmic reticulum.

Taar1 is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) confined to primary cilia of rodent thyroid epithelial cells. Taar1-deficient mouse thyroid follicles feature luminal accumulation of thyroglobulin suggesting that Taar1 acts as a regulator of extra- and pericellular thyroglobulin processing, which is mediated by cysteine cathepsin proteases present at the apical plasma membrane of rodent thyrocytes. Here, by immunostaining and confocal laser scanning microscopy, we demonstrated co-localization of cathepsin L, but only little cathepsin B, with Taar1 at primary cilia of rat thyrocytes, the FRT cells.

Canonical TSH Regulation of Cathepsin-Mediated Thyroglobulin Processing in the Thyroid Gland of Male Mice Requires Taar1 Expression.

Trace amine-associated receptor 1 (Taar1) has been suggested as putative receptor of thyronamines. These are aminergic messengers with potential metabolic and neurological effects countering their contingent precursors, the thyroid hormones (THs). Recently, we found Taar1 to be localized at the primary cilia of rodent thyroid epithelial cells and .