Cystic fibrosis (CF) is caused by mutations in the gene that encodes the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) anion channel. In humans and pigs, the loss of CFTR impairs respiratory host defenses, causing airway infection. But CF mice are spared. We found that in all three species, CFTR secreted bicarbonate into airway surface liquid. In humans and pigs lacking CFTR, unchecked H+ secretion by the nongastric H+/K+ adenosine triphosphatase (ATP12A) acidified airway surface liquid, which impaired airway host defenses. In contrast, mouse airways expressed little ATP12A and secreted minimal H+; consequently, airway surface liquid in CF and non-CF mice had similar pH. Inhibiting ATP12A reversed host defense abnormalities in human and pig airways. Conversely, expressing ATP12A in CF mouse airways acidified airway surface liquid, impaired defenses, and increased airway bacteria. These findings help explain why CF mice are protected from infection and nominate ATP12A as a potential therapeutic target for CF.

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Loss-of-function mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) compromise epithelial HCO 3 − and Cl − secretion, reduce airway surface liquid (ASL) pH, and impair respiratory host defenses in people with cystic fibrosis (CF) 1 – 3 . Here we report that apical addition of an unselective ion channel-forming small molecule, amphotericin B (AmB), restored HCO 3 − secretion and increased ASL pH in cultured human CF airway epithelia. These effects required the basolateral Na + /K + ATPase, indicating that apical AmB channels functionally interfaced with this driver of anion secretion. AmB also restored ASL pH, viscosity, and antibacterial activity in primary cultures of airway epithelia from people with CF caused by different mutations, including ones that yield no CFTR, and increased ASL pH in CFTR -null pigs in vivo . Thus, unselective small molecule ion channels can restore CF airway host defenses via a mechanism that is CFTR-independent and therefore genotype-independent.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is caused by mutations in the gene encoding the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) anion channel. Airway disease is the major source of morbidity and mortality. Successful implementation of gene- and cell-based therapies for CF airway disease requires knowledge of relationships among percentages of targeted cells, levels of CFTR expression, correction of electrolyte transport, and rescue of host defense defects. Previous studies suggested that, when ∼10–50% of airway epithelial cells expressed CFTR, they generated nearly wild-type levels of Cl− secretion; overexpressing CFTR offered no advantage compared with endogenous expression levels. However, recent discoveries focused attention on CFTR-mediated HCO3− secretion and airway surface liquid (ASL) pH as critical for host defense and CF pathogenesis. Therefore, we generated porcine airway epithelia with varying ratios of CF and wild-type cells. Epithelia with a 50:50 mix secreted HCO3− at half the rate of wild-type epithelia. Likewise, heterozygous epithelia (CFTR+/− or CFTR+/∆F508) expressed CFTR and secreted HCO3− at ∼50% of wild-type values. ASL pH, antimicrobial activity, and viscosity showed similar relationships to the amount of CFTR. Overexpressing CFTR increased HCO3− secretion to rates greater than wild type, but ASL pH did not exceed wild-type values. Thus, in contrast to Cl− secretion, the amount of CFTR is rate-limiting for HCO3− secretion and for correcting host defense abnormalities. In addition, overexpressing CFTR might produce a greater benefit than expressing CFTR at wild-type levels when targeting small fractions of cells. These findings may also explain the risk of airway disease in CF carriers.

The physiological components that contribute to cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease are steadily being elucidated. Gene therapy could potentially correct these defects. CFTR-null pigs provide a relevant model to test gene therapy vectors. Using an in vivo selection strategy that amplifies successful capsids by replicating their genomes with helper adenovirus coinfection, we selected an adeno-associated virus (AAV) with tropism for pig airway epithelia. The evolved capsid, termed AAV2H22, is based on AAV2 with 5 point mutations that result in a 240-fold increased infection efficiency. In contrast to AAV2, AAV2H22 binds specifically to pig airway epithelia and is less reliant on heparan sulfate for transduction. We administer AAV2H22-CFTR expressing the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) cDNA to the airways of CF pigs. The transduced airways expressed CFTR on ciliated and nonciliated cells, induced anion transport, and improved the airway surface liquid pH and bacterial killing. Most gene therapy studies to date focus solely on Cl− transport as the primary metric of phenotypic correction. Here, we describe a gene therapy experiment where we not only correct defective anion transport, but also restore bacterial killing in CFTR-null pig airways.