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The infantile GM2 gangliosidoses are severe neurodegenerative disorders, caused by a defect in the β-hexosaminidase system. They are characterized by lysosomal accumulation of the substrate, GM2 ganglioside, which results in severe neuronal damage and death in the early years of life. Sandhoff mice deficient in both major hexosaminidase isozymes, Hex A and Hex B, mimic the disease severity in the human condition including the motor deterioration, histopathological findings, and premature death. To investigate the utility of systemic adeno-associated virus 9 (AAV9)-based gene delivery in treating GM2 gangliosidoses, we evaluated the therapeutic outcome of a single intravenous injection of recombinant AAV9 encoding the complementing Hexb gene in a Sandhoff mouse model. We showed prolonged survival, preserved motor function, and reduced GM2 ganglioside accumulation as well as inflammation when systemic AAV9 therapy was administered to 1-2 days old mice. However, the formation of liver or lung tumours accompanied the positive therapeutic effect.

The GM2 gangliosidoses are a group of recessive disorders, which lead to the accumulation of GM2 ganglioside in neuronal cells. The genes responsible for these disorders are HEXA (Tay-Sachs disease and variants), HEXB (Sandhoff disease and variants) and GM2A (AB variant of GM2 gangliosidosis). We have established three relational locus-specific databases recording allelic variation at the HEXA, HEXB and GM2A genes, and these can be accessed through the G M2 Gangliosidoses home page (http://data.mch.mcgill.ca/gm2-gangliosidoses/). The purpose of these databases is to collect and distribute information on mutations in the genes responsible for GM2 gangliosidosis. These databases are available online for users to search and retrieve information about specific mutations either by mutation, phenotype or author(s). In addition, submission forms are available for the addition of new mutations to the databases. / In order to provide information concerning the effects of mutations on the manifestations of disease, we proceeded to model on the theoretical model of the alpha subunit a few missense mutations. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

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