Title:Genetically-Modified Hematopoietic Stem Cells and their Progeny for Widespread and Efficient Protein Delivery to Diseased Sites: The Case of Lysosomal Storage Disorders
VOLUME: 12 ISSUE: 5
Author(s):Alessandra Biffi
Affiliation:San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, Via Olgettina 58, 20132, Milano, Italy.
Keywords:Hematopoietic stem cells, gene therapy, central nervous system, lysosomal storage disorders, blood-brain-barrier, protein delivery, brain parenchyma, ventricular space
Abstract:Efficient therapeutic protein delivery is a challenging task in several disease contexts and particularly when the
CNS is concerned. Different approaches for brain-directed delivery have been thus far investigated, including direct injection
of molecules or of their coding information carried by dedicated vector systems within the brain parenchyma or in the
ventricular space, intravenous systemic administration of molecules/vectors modified to target and cross the blood-brainbarrier,
and exploitation of allogeneic and/or autologous and genetically modified cells as vehicles for the therapeutic of
interest. Among these, we here review one of the most promising approaches based on hematopoietic stem cells, taking
advantage of lysosomal storage disorders as representative disease setting.
