Cardiac bridging integrator 1 gene therapy rescues chronic non-ischemic heart failure in minipigs

Abstract

Heart failure (HF) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, yet with limited therapeutic options. Cardiac bridging integrator 1 (cBIN1), a cardiomyocyte transverse-tubule (t-tubule) scaffolding protein which organizes the calcium handling machinery, is transcriptionally reduced in HF and can be recovered for functional rescue in mice. Here we report that in human patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), left ventricular cBIN1 levels linearly correlate with organ-level ventricular remodeling such as diastolic diameter. Using a minipig model of right ventricular tachypacing-induced non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy and chronic HFrEF, we identified that a single intravenous low dose (6 × 1011 vg/kg) of adeno associated virus 9 (AAV9)-packaged cBIN1 improves ventricular remodeling and performance, reduces pulmonary and systemic fluid retention, and increases survival in HFrEF minipigs. In cardiomyocytes, AAV9-cBIN1 restores t-tubule organization and ultrastructure in failing cardiomyocytes. In conclusion, AAV9-based cBIN1 gene therapy rescues non-ischemic HFrEF with reduced mortality in minipigs.