Koichi Miyake

By Koichi Miyake and Takashi Shimada

Part of the book: Viral Gene Therapy

By Koichi Miyake and Takashi Shimada

Part of the book: Novel Gene Therapy Approaches

By Koichi Miyake, Noriko Miyake and Takashi Shimada

Application of gene therapies is a promising approach to the treatment of various neurological disorders, including Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and lysosomal storage disorders, which are not treatable by any other means. However, the blood–brain barrier (BBB) is a key obstacle to gene delivery to the central nervous system (CNS). Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors have emerged as a promising tool for gene delivery to the CNS, thanks to their safety and ability to transduce non-dividing neuronal cells. In this chapter, we discuss strategies for delivering genes across the BBB, focusing especially on potential routes of administration of AAV vectors and promising applications of AAV vectors to the treatment of CNS disorders.

Part of the book: Gene Therapy

By Koichi Miyake, Noriko Miyake and Takashi Shimada

In spite of developments of neonatal intensive care medicine, it is still difficult or impossible to treat several inherited genetic disorders using conventional pharmacological methods. Gene therapy is a promising alternate approach for treating a variety of genetic disorders. By the time the patient reaches adulthood, however, it is often too late for effective treatment. But in several of these cases, neonatal gene therapy appears potentially useful against inherited disorders that are not obviously treatable through any other methods. This chapter describes the strategy for neonatal gene therapy for inherited disorders and presents preclinical neonatal gene therapy data for two inherited disorders, metachromatic leukodystrophy and hypophosphatasia. We also discuss the utility, advantages, problems and potential of neonatal gene therapy for inherited disorders.

Part of the book: Selected Topics in Neonatal Care