In vivo modulation of a dominant-negative variant in mouse models of von Willebrand disease type 2A

Essentials Treatment options for von Willebrand disease (VWD) patients are limited. The p.P1127_C1948delinsR deletion/variant is a useful model to study VWD in vitro and in vivo. Counteracting dominant-negative effects restores von Willebrand factor multimerization in mice. This is the first siRNA-based treatment applied to a mouse model of VWD-type 2A. ABSTRACT: Background Treatment options for patients suffering from von Willebrand disease (VWD) are limited. Von Willebrand factor (VWF) is a polymeric protein that undergoes regulated dimerization and subsequent multimerization during its biosynthesis. Numerous heterozygous variants within the VWF gene display a dominant-negative effect and result in severe VWD. Previous studies have suggested that preventing the assembly of wild-type and mutant heteropolymers using siRNAs may have beneficial effects on VWF phenotypes in vitro. Objectives To study heterozygous dominant-negative variants in vivo, we developed a mouse model of VWD-type 2A and tested two independent strategies to modulate its detrimental effect. Methods The p.P1127_C1948delinsR deletion/variant, causing defective VWF multimerization, was expressed in mice as a model of VWD-type 2A variant. Two corrective strategies were applied. For the first time in a mouse model of VWD, we applied siRNAs selectively inhibiting translation of the mutant transcripts and we combined the VWD-type 2A deletion with the Cys to Arg substitution at position 2773, which is known to prevent dimerization. Results The RNA silencing approach induced a modest but consistent improvement of the VWF multimer profile. However, due to incomplete efficiency, the dominant-negative effect of the original variant could not be completely prevented. In contrast, the DNA approach resulted in increased antigen levels and restoration of a normal multimer profile. Conclusions Our data showed that preventing the detrimental impact of dominant-negative VWF variants by independent molecular mechanisms has beneficial consequences in vivo, in mouse models of dominant VWD.