Disclosed herein include adeno-associated virus (AAV) acoustic targeting peptides. An AAV comprising the AAV acoustic targeting peptide can exhibit increased transduction at site(s) of focused ultrasound blood-brain barrier opening (FUS-BBBO), increased neuronal tropism, and diminished transduction of peripheral organs. Disclosed herein include recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) comprising an AAV acoustic targeting peptide disclosed herein. Also provided herein include methods of delivering an agent to one or more target brain region(s) of a subject.

The present disclosure describes the generation and the use of Ad variants (Ad) possessing any combination of mutations in genes that code for the hexon, penton, fiber, and non-structural proteins, where simultaneous modification of hexon and penton are made to avoid the trapping of Ad in the liver and to reduce toxicity after intravascular virus administration. Such liver de-targeted Ad can be useful tool for selective and specific gene delivery to extra-hepatic tissues and cells, including disseminated metastatic cancer cells.

Provided is a method of inserting a polynucleotide sequence into a genome of a cell. The method comprises: generating a double-strand break at a target site of the genome; and introducing into the cell a virus. The virus comprises a nucleic acid comprising the polynucleotide sequence to be inserted or the complementary sequence thereof. The nucleic acid does not comprise a homologous arm or comprises very short (5˜25 bp) homologous arms corresponding to the target site. Also provided herein is a composition for inserting a polynucleotide sequence into a genome of a cell. The composition comprises a site-specific nuclease capable of generating a DNA double-strand break at a target site of the genome and a virus comprising a nucleic acid comprising the polynucleotide sequence or the complementary sequence thereof.

Microbial type rhodopsins, such as the light-gated cation-selective membrane channel, channelrhodopsin-2 (Chop2/ChR2) or the ion pump halorhodopsin (HaloR) are expressed in retinal ganglion cells upon transduction using recombinant AAV vectors. Selective targeting of these transgenes for expression in discrete subcellular regions or sites is achieved by including a sorting motif in the vector that can target either the central area or surround (off-center) area of these cells. Nucleic acid molecules comprising nucleotide sequences encoding such rhodopsins and sorting motifs and their use in methods of differential expression of the transgene are disclosed. These compositions and methods provide significant improvements for restoring visual perception and various aspects of vision, particular in patients with retinal disease.

The present invention relates to nucleic acid molecules containing spacers and methods of using the same.

The present disclosure describes the generation and the use of Ad variants (Ad) possessing any combination of mutations in genes that code for the hexon, penton, fiber, and non-structural proteins, where simultaneous modification of hexon and penton are made to avoid the trapping of Ad in the liver and to reduce toxicity after intravascular virus administration. Such liver de-targeted Ad can be useful tool for selective and specific gene delivery to extra-hepatic tissues and cells, including disseminated metastatic cancer cells.

The present invention relates to a system and method for efficiently modifying the genome of cells to treat diseases via sequential homologous recombination using CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing with donor DNA delivered by two or more adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors.

The present invention relates to nucleic acid molecules containing spacers that can be packaged into viral particles and methods of producing them. In a first aspect, the invention features a nucleic acid molecule including a first spacer (SSI); a first inverted terminal repeat (ITR1); a cloning site (CS); a second inverted terminal repeat (ITR2); and a second spacer (SS2), such as a eukaryotic spacer; operably linked to each other in a 5′-to-3′ direction as: SS1-ITR1-CS-ITR2-SS2. In an embodiment, the invention features a vector comprising any of the above-described nucleic acid molecules. In another aspect, the invention features a plurality of viral particles including the nucleic acid molecule. The invention further includes a host cell including any of the above-described vectors.

Provided is a method of inserting a polynucleotide sequence into a genome of a cell. The method comprises: generating a double-strand break at a target site of the genome; and introducing into the cell a virus. The virus comprises a nucleic acid comprising the polynucleotide sequence to be inserted or the complementary sequence thereof. The nucleic acid does not comprise a homologous arm or comprises very short (5˜25 bp) homologous arms corresponding to the target site. Also provided herein is a composition for inserting a polynucleotide sequence into a genome of a cell. The composition comprises a site-specific nuclease capable of generating a DNA double-strand break at a target site of the genome and a virus comprising a nucleic acid comprising the polynucleotide sequence or the complementary sequence thereof.

Provided herein are compositions and methods for the viral gene therapy (e.g., AAV-directed gene therapy) of cholesterol storage diseases or disorders, such as Niemann-Pick disease, Type C