American researchers have investigated the benefits of a short, low-intensity physical activity session on the efficacy of gene therapy product transduction in mouse models of Barth syndrome.
At six weeks, the mice were subjected to 30 min of aerobic exercise (treadmill) immediately followed by an intravenous injection of a dose of gene therapy (AAV9). Four weeks later, compared with treated but unexercised mice, the experimental cohort showed :
- increased transduction in the heart and gastrocnemius muscle ;
- significantly higher transgene transcription in these same muscles.
This study demonstrates the potential of exercise as a low-risk, low-cost strategy for optimizing gene therapy without increasing viral doses.
