A novel approach to gene therapy is improving lives in ways once thought impossible. Researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine have developed a new platform to deliver the gene therapy precisely to specific areas of the brain. Their research builds on previous work at Ohio State and the University of California San Francisco using targeted delivery of gene therapy to the midbrain, near the brainstem. Some of their research now focuses on patients with Alzheimer鈥檚 disease and Parkinson鈥檚 disease. Worldwide, more than 55 million people have Alzheimer鈥檚 disease, according to the World Health Organization. Another 10 million have Parkinson鈥檚 disease, the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease, according to the Parkinson鈥檚 Foundation. One of their biggest successes uses gene therapy to treat a rare genetic disorder called aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency. Children with AADC deficient are missing the enzyme that produces dopamine and serotonin in the central nervous system. This affects pathways in the brain responsible for motor function and emotions. As a result, these children can鈥檛 coordinate the movements of their head, face and neck. They often don鈥檛 reach normal childhood milestones, such as sitting up or walking by themselves. Fewer than 1,000 people worldwide are estimated to have AADC deficiency, according to the Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center. One of them is 9-year-old Delilah Ramirez. Along with her mother, Arcelia Ramirez, they traveled 800 miles from their home near Omaha, Neb., so that Delilah could have this life-changing gene therapy surgery at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center.
Fewer than 1,000 people worldwide are estimated to have AADC deficiency, according to the Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center. One of them is 9-year-old Delilah Ramirez. Along with her mother, Arcelia Ramirez, they traveled 800 miles from their home near Omaha, Neb., so that Delilah could have this life-changing gene therapy surgery at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. At the time of the surgery in July 2022, Delilah couldn鈥檛 hold up her head or sit up by herself. She relied on a motorized wheelchair to move around. She couldn鈥檛 feed herself, or sleep through the night. She had emotional outbursts, and suffered from seizure-like episodes that could last for hours. But now, Delilah has changed so much 鈥� for the better. On her 9th birthday, she blew out a candle on her cupcake 鈥� on purpose. This was the first time she had ever blown out a birthday candle. 鈥淪he's like a different kid. Her sleeping is a lot better. She can walk now, she can self-feed,鈥� said Arcelia Ramirez. 鈥淲hen she started using a fork, that was a reason to celebrate. When she started using a straw, that was a reason to celebrate. Walking was a big, big milestone for her that we just celebrated.鈥� AADC deficiency is one of thousands of diseases caused by genetic mutations. Krystof Bankiewicz, MD, PhD, professor of neurological surgery at Ohio State, says it鈥檚 like a typo in Delilah鈥檚 DNA. 鈥淪o we are bringing in a correctly spelled sequence of the gene,鈥� said Bankiewicz, who is also chief scientific officer at the Ohio State Gene Therapy Institute. To do that, neurosurgeon James 鈥淏rad鈥� Elder, MD, and his team at Wexner Medical Center infuse genetic material directly to precise parts of the brain, tracked in real time through MRI. 鈥淭his helps ensure we put the genetic material in exactly the right place, so the brain will start making dopamine and serotonin again,鈥� said Elder, who also is a professor of neurological surgery. 鈥淭his therapy is designed to approach both parts of the brain that control movements and emotions.鈥� This breakthrough in treating patients with AADC was decades in the making. 鈥淚t requires a use of the technology and devices that we had to develop and establish over the years to do these surgeries very precisely, very carefully and then do it safely,鈥� Bankiewicz said. 鈥淭he issue of, 鈥業s it going to work?鈥� It's no longer being questioned. It works.鈥� In addition to expanding this method to central nervous system diseases such as Alzheimer鈥檚, Parkinson鈥檚, Multiple System Atrophy and Huntington鈥檚 disease, Elder and Bankiewicz are also trying to edit genetic mutations in other neurological disorders, including brain tumors.
Just 18 months ago, Delilah Ramirez could barely sit up on her own due to a rare genetic disorder that causes severe physical and cognitive disability. After receiving gene therapy at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Delilah can now feed herself, communicate more and even walk by herself.
One year after undergoing a novel gene therapy procedure to treat a rare genetic neurological disorder at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Delilah Ramirez was taking steps forward. Since then she has continued to progress, walking unassisted and reaching new milestones once believed to be impossible.
Every step she watches her daughter, Delilah, take is a miracle to Arcelia Ramirez. Delilah underwent a novel approach to gene therapy to treat a rare genetic disorder at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in July 2022. Now she continues to surprise her mom with her progress, including walking on her own.
Delilah Ramirez, 9, is now able to feed herself after receiving treatment for a rare genetic disorder that causes severe physical and cognitive disability. Tasks like these were once believed to be impossible for Delilah. But now she can handle them after an experimental procedure at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center that delivered gene therapy directly to her brain.
Krystof Bankiewicz, MD, PhD,collaborates with his team in the lab at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center鈥檚 Gene Therapy Institute. Bankiewicz and others developed the technology to deliver therapeutics directly to the precise area of the brain affected by different genetic and neurological disorders.
Using real-time MRI allows neurosurgeons at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center to precisely deliver a genetic therapeutic (white circle) directly to the precise site of the brain (outlined in green) to help patients with a rare genetic disorder called AADC deficiency. This novel approach to gene therapy is also used in clinical trials at Ohio State to treat a variety of genetic disorders, along with more common neurological diseases including Alzheimer鈥檚 and Parkinson鈥檚 disease.
Krystof Bankiewicz, MD, PhD, chief scientific officer of the Gene Therapy Institute at The Ohio State University and professor of Neurological Surgery at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine.
J. Bradley Elder, MD, associate professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery at The Ohio State University and director of Neurosurgical Oncology at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center鈥擜rthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute
News — COLUMBUS, Ohio – A novel approach to gene therapy is improving lives in ways once thought impossible. Researchers at and have developed a new platform to deliver the gene therapy precisely to specific areas of the brain.
Their research builds on previous work at Ohio State and the using targeted delivery of gene therapy to the midbrain, near the brainstem.
Some of their research now focuses on patients with Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Worldwide, more than 55 million people have Alzheimer’s disease, according to the . Another 10 million have Parkinson’s disease, the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease, according to the .
One of their biggest successes uses gene therapy to treat a rare genetic disorder called aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency.
Children with AADC deficient are missing the enzyme that produces dopamine and serotonin in the central nervous system. This affects pathways in the brain responsible for motor function and emotions.
As a result, these children can’t coordinate the movements of their head, face and neck. They often don’t reach normal childhood milestones, such as sitting up or walking by themselves.
Fewer than 1,000 people worldwide are estimated to have AADC deficiency, according to the . One of them is 9-year-old Delilah Ramirez.
Along with her mother, Arcelia Ramirez, they traveled 800 miles from their home near Omaha, Neb., so that Delilah could have this life-changing gene therapy surgery at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center.
At the time of the surgery in July 2022, Delilah couldn’t hold up her head or sit up by herself. She relied on a motorized wheelchair to move around. She couldn’t feed herself, or sleep through the night. She had emotional outbursts, and suffered from seizure-like episodes that could last for hours.
But now, Delilah has changed so much – for the better. On her 9th birthday, she blew out a candle on her cupcake – on purpose. This was the first time she had ever blown out a birthday candle.
“She's like a different kid. Her sleeping is a lot better. She can walk now, she can self-feed,” said Arcelia Ramirez. “When she started using a fork, that was a reason to celebrate. When she started using a straw, that was a reason to celebrate. Walking was a big, big milestone for her that we just celebrated.”
AADC deficiency is one of thousands of diseases caused by genetic mutations. professor of neurological surgery at Ohio State, says it’s like a typo in Delilah’s DNA.
“So we are bringing in a correctly spelled sequence of the gene,” said Bankiewicz, who is also chief scientific officer at the .
To do that, neurosurgeon , and his team at Wexner Medical Center infuse genetic material directly to precise parts of the brain, tracked in real time through MRI.
“This helps ensure we put the genetic material in exactly the right place, so the brain will start making dopamine and serotonin again,” said Elder, who also is a professor of neurological surgery. “This therapy is designed to approach both parts of the brain that control movements and emotions.”
This breakthrough in treating patients with AADC was decades in the making.
“It requires a use of the technology and devices that we had to develop and establish over the years to do these surgeries very precisely, very carefully and then do it safely,” Bankiewicz said. “The issue of, ‘Is it going to work?’ It's no longer being questioned. It works.”
In addition to expanding this method to central nervous system diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Multiple System Atrophy and Huntington’s disease, Elder and Bankiewicz are also trying to edit genetic mutations in other neurological disorders, including brain tumors.
“We are not treating a gene that causes Parkinson's or Alzheimer's,” Bankiewicz said. “We're using this technology to deliver a therapeutic that we believe will, in a positive way, affect the progression of the disease.”
For more information about gene therapy clinical trials and research, visit the .
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Credit: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Caption: Just 18 months ago, Delilah Ramirez could barely sit up on her own due to a rare genetic disorder that causes severe physical and cognitive disability. After receiving gene therapy at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Delilah can now feed herself, communicate more and even walk by herself.
Credit: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Caption: One year after undergoing a novel gene therapy procedure to treat a rare genetic neurological disorder at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Delilah Ramirez was taking steps forward. Since then she has continued to progress, walking unassisted and reaching new milestones once believed to be impossible.
Credit: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Caption: Every step she watches her daughter, Delilah, take is a miracle to Arcelia Ramirez. Delilah underwent a novel approach to gene therapy to treat a rare genetic disorder at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in July 2022. Now she continues to surprise her mom with her progress, including walking on her own.
Credit: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Caption: Delilah Ramirez, 9, is now able to feed herself after receiving treatment for a rare genetic disorder that causes severe physical and cognitive disability. Tasks like these were once believed to be impossible for Delilah. But now she can handle them after an experimental procedure at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center that delivered gene therapy directly to her brain.
Credit: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Caption: Krystof Bankiewicz, MD, PhD,collaborates with his team in the lab at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center鈥檚 Gene Therapy Institute. Bankiewicz and others developed the technology to deliver therapeutics directly to the precise area of the brain affected by different genetic and neurological disorders.
Credit: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Caption: Using real-time MRI allows neurosurgeons at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center to precisely deliver a genetic therapeutic (white circle) directly to the precise site of the brain (outlined in green) to help patients with a rare genetic disorder called AADC deficiency. This novel approach to gene therapy is also used in clinical trials at Ohio State to treat a variety of genetic disorders, along with more common neurological diseases including Alzheimer鈥檚 and Parkinson鈥檚 disease.
Credit: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Caption: Krystof Bankiewicz, MD, PhD, chief scientific officer of the Gene Therapy Institute at The Ohio State University and professor of Neurological Surgery at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine.
Credit: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Caption: J. Bradley Elder, MD, associate professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery at The Ohio State University and director of Neurosurgical Oncology at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center鈥擜rthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute
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