Journal of Clinical Investigation Highlights Dr. Salomon Amar’s Research

Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) Professor and Director of the Center for Anti-inflammatory Therapeutics Dr. Salomon Amar published research he collaborated on titled, "Amelioration of emphysema in mice through lentiviral transduction of long-lived pulmonary alveolar macrophages," in the January 4 edition of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

This research was a collaboration between members of GSDM, the Boston University School of Medicine, Boston University Center for Regenerative Medicine, Boston University College of Engineering, The Hebrew University Faculty of Dental Medicine, and Harvard Medical School.

The research found that alveolar macrophages (AMs) are not short lived, as previously thought, and instead suggested that these differentiated cells may be a possible target cell population for in vivo gene therapy applications. The gene therapy application they focused on was the sustained correction of human α1 antitrypsin (hAAT) deficiency—which causes inherited mutations such as emphysema.

To accomplish this the team used an intratracheally instilled lentiviral system to selectively deliver genes to as many as 70% of AMs found in the mouse lung. In this case, the mice were established models of emphysema, and the lentivirally delivered hAAT ameliorated the progression of emphysema. After 24 weeks of sustained gene expression, no humoral or cellular immune responses to hAAT protein was detected.

"The collaboration we, at GSDM, have developed with the senior author of the paper, Dr. Darrell Kotton, and the other authors is true evidence that interdisciplinary research can be very fruitful," said Dr. Amar. "The study highlights novel macrophage-mediated therapeutic advances for emphysema and paves the way to other macrophage-mediated diseases. We are truly looking forward to continued contribution with this group of researchers."

The full abstract can be found here.