Ocular delivery of different valosin-containing protein (VCP) inhibitory formulations prevents retinal degeneration in rho∆I255 mice

Rhodopsin-mediated autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa ( RHO -adRP) is a progressive inherited retinal degenerative disorder currently lacking effective treatments. A recurrent 3-base pair deletion in the RHO gene, resulting in the loss of isoleucine at codon 255 or 256 ( RHO ∆I255 or RHO ∆I256 ), has been identified in patients from the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, China, and Korea, suggesting a broad geographic distribution. This mutation leads to rhodopsin (RHO) misfolding, its retention in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and aggregation with wild-type (WT) RHO, ultimately triggering ER stress and photoreceptor degeneration. These aggregates are primarily cleared via the ER-associated degradation (ERAD) pathway, with valosin-containing protein (VCP) playing a key role in their retrotranslocation and proteasomal degradation. Pharmacological or genetic inhibition of VCP has shown neuroprotective effects in other models of adRP, but the poor aqueous solubility of VCP inhibitors and challenges in retinal drug delivery hinder clinical translation. To overcome these limitations, we evaluated and compared three VCP-targeted therapeutic strategies in Rho ∆I255 knock-in mouse retinae: (1) small-molecule inhibitors (ML240, NMS-873) solubilized in DMSO, (2) ML240 encapsulated in monomethoxy-polyethylene glycol (mPEG)-cholane nanoparticles, and (3) small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting VCP, delivered via magnetic nanoparticles. Neuroprotective effects were assessed in vitro in retinal explants and in vivo following intravitreal injection. Our findings provide the first evidence that VCP inhibition restores RHO trafficking to the outer segments and prevents photoreceptor cell death in the Rho ∆I255 model. Among the three approaches, nanocarrier-encapsulated ML240 exhibited superior efficacy, enabling sustained drug delivery and enhanced photoreceptor protection. These results establish a preclinical proof-of-concept for nanocarrier-mediated VCP inhibition as a promising therapeutic strategy for RHO -adRP and potentially other ER-stress-related retinal degenerations. • VCP is a promising therapeutic target for RHO mutation-associated adRP. • VCP inhibition restores RHO trafficking and prevents photoreceptor loss. • ML240-loaded mPEG-cholane nanoparticles outperform free ML240 and siRNA. • mPEG-cholane nanocarriers enable sustained and long-term retinal protection.