RESTORATION OF ARYLSULFATASE-A ACTIVITY IN HUMAN-METACHROMATIC-LEUKODYSTROPHY FIBROBLASTS VIA RETROVIRAL-VECTOR-MEDIATED GENE-TRANSFER

Metachromatic leukodystrophy is a lysosomal storage disease caused by the deficiency of arylsulphatase A (ASA). A human ASA cDNA was subcloned into the retroviral vector pXT1. Replication-defective retrovirus was generated by tranfection of the vector into the amphotropic packaging cell line PA317. Human fibroblasts from a patient suffering from metachromatic leucodystrophy was infected with the recombinant retrovirus. Infected fibroblasts expressed ten times more ASA compared with control fibroblasts from a normal individual. The ASA encoded by the integrated provirus was shown to be correctly transported into the lysosomes and to normalize the impaired degradation of cerebroside sulphate.