Antisense oligonucleotide reverses leukodystrophy in Canavan disease mice

Marked elevation in the brain concentration of N-acetyl-L-aspartate (NAA) is a characteristic feature of Canavan disease, a vacuolar leukodystrophy resulting from deficiency of the oligodendroglial NAA-cleaving enzyme aspartoacylase. We now demonstrate that inhibiting NAA synthesis by intracisternal administration of a locked nucleic acid antisense oligonucleotide to young-adult aspartoacylase-deficient mice reverses their pre-existing ataxia and diminishes cerebellar and thalamic vacuolation and Purkinje cell dendritic atrophy. Ann Neurol 2020;87:480-485.