Effect of local viral transfer of interleukin 10 gene on a rabbit arthritis model induced by interleukin 1β:

Effects of interleukin-10 on cutaneous wounds and scars in humans of African continental ancestral origin

Scars in humans of African continental ancestry heal with an exaggerated inflammatory response and a generally wider scar. Interleukin-10 is an anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic cytokine. A randomized controlled trial in Caucasians found that exogenous interleukin-10 resulted in improved macroscopic scar appearance and reduced scar redness. We investigated the effects of interleukin-10 on cutaneous scarring in volunteers of African ancestral origin in an exploratory, single-center, within-subject, double-blind randomized controlled trial. Fifty-six subjects received two of four potential prerandomized concentrations of interleukin-10 (5, 25, 100, and 250 ng/100 µL) in two full-thickness incisions on the upper inner arms. Anatomically matching incisions on the contralateral arm were treated with placebo. Scars were excised at 1 month for histological analysis and were redosed with the same regimen. Resultant excision scars were followed up for 12 months for scar width measurement and scoring. Scoring was performed by trial doctors, subjects, and a panel. Incisions treated with 100 ng/100 µL interleukin-10 had significantly reduced microscopic scar widths. Incisions treated with 5 and 25 ng/100 µL interleukin-10 were also narrower, but not significantly. There were no differences observed in pro-inflammatory or pro-fibrotic markers between interleukin-10 and placebo treatment. There was no long-term evidence that 100 ng/100 µL interleukin-10 had a therapeutic effect on macroscopic scar width or appearance, as excisions treated with this concentration were significantly wider than placebo between 8 and 12 months of maturation. Doctors showed a trend toward favoring the macroscopic appearance of placebo-treated excisions compared with those treated with 250 ng/100 µL interleukin-10. Panelists scored placebo-treated excisions as significantly better-appearing than those treated with 250 ng/100 µL interleukin-10. Doctors' scores showed a trend toward favoring treatment with 5 ng/100 µL interleukin-10 at 10 and 11 months post-excision. Subjects showed a trend toward favoring treatment with 5 ng/100 µL interleukin-10 between 5 and 9 months postexcision. Analysis of images of markedly improved scars revealed a potential subset of responders among those treated with 5 ng/100 µL interleukin-10. No concentration of interleukin-10 produced a statistically significant improvement in scarring compared with placebo.

Interleukin-10 reduces scar formation in both animal and human cutaneous wounds: results of two preclinical and phase II randomized control studies

Cutaneous scarring affects up to 100 million people per annum. There is no effective scar reducing/preventing therapeutic developed to date. Interleukin (IL)-10 is an anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic cytokine. In the embryo it is important for scarless wound repair. We investigated the effect on wound healing and scarring of a double deletion of the IL-10 and IL-4 genes in a knockout (KO) mouse model, and also the effect of exogenous addition of recombinant human (rh) IL-10 into rat and human cutaneous incisions. Mouse study: Two incisions were made on the dorsal skin of 20 double IL-4/IL-10 KO mice and 20 wild-type (WT) controls. Rat study: Three concentrations of rhIL-10 were investigated. Four incisions were made on the dorsal skin of 30 rats. Each rat received two concentrations. Each incision receiving a concentration of rhIL-10 was matched with a control incision, which received either placebo or standard care. Human study: Eight concentrations of rhIL-10 were investigated. Four incisions were made on each arm of 175 healthy volunteers. Four incisions received four different concentrations, which were matched with four control incisions that received either standard care or placebo. KO mice healed with poor scar histology and increased inflammation. rhIL-10-treated rat incisions healed with decreased inflammation, better scar histology, and better macroscopic scar appearance. rhIL-10-treated human incisions at low concentrations healed with better macroscopic scar appearance and less red scars. IL-10 is an important cytokine in wound healing and its suppression of inflammation and scarring is demonstrated in mice and rats with a translational effect in humans.

Adenovirus-mediated viral interleukin-10 gene transfer prevents concanavalin A-induced liver injury

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Liver injury is closely associated with immune inflammation. Lacking immunostimulatory functions, viral interleukin-10 (vIL-10), a cellular IL-10 homologue, has been an attractive molecule for immunomodulatory therapy. We aimed to reveal a protective effect of the gene transfer of an adenoviral vector encoding vIL-10 on liver injury induced by concanavalin A.

METHODS

C57BL/6J mice were intravenously injected with adenoviral vector encoding vIL-10 before concanavalin A challenge. Liver injury was assessed. Interferon-γ and interleukin-4 levels were measured by ELISA. The activation of splenic and hepatic immune cells was analysed using an MTT assay.

RESULTS

Adenoviral vector encoding vIL-10 pretreatment significantly decreased concanavalin A-mediated elevations in serum alanine aminotransaminase and aspartate aminotransaminase activity, and necrotic area in liver tissues. The protective effect of adenoviral vector encoding vIL-10 was attributed to its inhibition of T cell activation, and production of interferon-γ and interleukin-4 by the immune cells. Recombinant mouse IL-10, a high homologous cytokine to vIL-10, effectively downregulated interferon-γ and interleukin-4 release by hepatic mononuclear cells.

CONCLUSION

Adenovirus vector-mediated vIL-10 gene transfer can prevent concanavalin A-induced hepatic injury, minimise pro-inflammatory cytokine release, and inhibit the activation of T lymphocytes.

The effectiveness of Echinacea extract or composite glucosamine, chondroitin and methyl sulfonyl methane supplements on acute and chronic rheumatoid arthritis rat model

The study aimed to investigate the effect of the oral administration for 15 days of either Echinacea (E) or genuphil (a composite of chondroitin sulphate, glucosamine and methyl sulfonyl methane [GCM]) nutraceutical supplements on female rat model of acute or chronic arthritis induced by bacterial outer membrane protein (OMP) from faecal flora of healthy and rheumatic humans. Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP2), C-reactive protein (CRP) and rheumatoid factor (RF) values increased ( p < 0.05) in both arthritic groups as compared to normal values. The rheumatic markers anti-CCP2, CRP and RF values decreased significantly in E- and GCM-treated groups compared to arthritic none-treated acute or chronic groups. The results of RF values of GCM-treated groups in acute and chronic models decreased exhibiting no statistical difference compared with the normal value. Histological examinations of the hind paw sections revealed moderate inflammation, oedema and mild proliferation of synovial cells in acute arthritic rats and more damage to cartilage and bone with severe inflammation in chronic ones. Echinacea acute treated group showed edema with proliferated synovial membrane and partial damage in cartilage and bone. While in the E -chronic treated group, rough edge with destructed cartilage and bone existed. However, the acute GCM group revealed mild cartilage damage. But the chronic GCM group showed mild synovial cells proliferation and revealed no inflammation with mild cartilage damage edge. Results demonstrated the OMP arthropathic property and through promising light on arthritis treatment using E- or GCM, with the advantage of GMC results over that of E -. The composite GCM is needed for further studies over the dose and duration to assess its preventive effects against the bacterial OMP arthrogenicity.

Selective killing of lung cancer cells using carcinoembryonic antigen promoter and double suicide genes, thymidine kinase and cytosine deaminase (pCEA-TK/CD)

The application of gene therapy in cancer treatment is limited by non-specific targeting. In the present study, we constructed a recombinant plasmid, containing a carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) promoter and double suicide genes thymidine kinase (TK) and cytosine deaminase (CD), henceforth referred to as pCEA-TK/CD. Our results showed that the CEA promoter can specifically drive target gene expression in CEA-positive lung cancer cells. In the presence of prodrugs 5-flucytosine and ganciclovir, pCEA-TK/CD transfection decreased inhibitory concentration 50 and increased apoptosis and cyclomorphosis. Our result suggests that gene therapy using pCEA-TK/CD may be a promising new approach for treating lung cancer.

Non-viral gene therapy for myocardial engineering

Despite significant advances in surgical and pharmacological techniques, myocardial infarction (MI) remains the main cause of morbidity in the developed world because no remedy has been found for the regeneration of infarcted myocardium. Once the blood supply to the area in question is interrupted, the inflammatory cascade, among other mechanisms, results in the damaged tissue becoming a scar. The goals of cardiac gene therapy are essentially to minimize damage, to promote regeneration, or some combination thereof. While the vector is, in theory, less important than the gene being delivered, the choice of vector can have a significant impact. Viral therapies can have very high transfection efficiencies, but disadvantages include immunogenicity, retroviral-mediated insertional mutagenesis, and the expense and difficulty of manufacture. For these reasons, researchers have focused on non-viral gene therapy as an alternative. In this review, naked plasmid delivery, or the delivery of complexed plasmids, and cell-mediated gene delivery to the myocardium will be reviewed. Pre-clinical and clinical trials in the cardiac tissue will form the core of the discussion. While unmodified stem cells are sometimes considered therapeutic vectors on the basis of paracrine mechanisms of action basic understanding is limited. Thus, only genetically modified cells will be discussed as cell-mediated gene therapy.