Recombinant adeno-associated virus delivery of alpha-sarcoglycan polynucleotides
The present invention relates to recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) delivery of an alpha-sarcoglycan gene. The invention provides rAAV products and methods of using the rAAV in the treatment of limb girdle muscular dystrophies such as LGMD2D.
1. A method of improving muscle function in a patient afflicted with limb girdle muscular dystrophy type 2D (LGMD 2D) comprising the step of administering by vascular delivery to the patient a recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) comprising an AAV rh.74 capsid of SEQ ID NO: 2, wherein the genome of the recombinant AAV is a self-complementary genome which comprises a gene expression cassette comprising the alpha-sarcoglycan polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO: 3 under the transcriptional control of a promoter, said cassette flanked by one or more AAV inverted terminal repeats, and wherein the recombinant AAV genome lacks AAV rep and cap DNA.