Liver-specific alpha 2 interferon gene expression results in protection from induced hepatitis

Interferon-α exacerbates neuropsychiatric phenotypes in lupus-prone mice

Background

Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythaematosus (NP-SLE) is one of the major manifestations of lupus. However, the mechanisms involved in NP-SLE are still largely unknown. The abnormal activation of the type I IFN signalling pathway is involved in SLE pathogenesis and is linked to NP-SLE, but the effect of IFN-α on NP-SLE encephalopathy has not been systematically studied.

Methods

An intravenous injection of Adv-IFN-α (10 mice, 10 × 10⁹ vp) was administered to the IFN-α-treated group, and Adv-ctrl (10 mice, 10 × 10⁹ vp) (ViGene Biosciences, China) was administered to the control group. Gene expression was determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect antibodies in the serum, and urinary protein levels were measured with a BCA Protein Assay kit. Haematoxylin-eosin (H&E) and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)-light green staining were used for kidney histology. The elevated plus-maze test, novelty-suppressed feeding assay, open-field test, tail suspension test, social dominance tube test, three-chamber social interaction test, step-down passive avoidance test and novelty Y-maze task were used to assess behaviour.

Results

In this study, we performed a series of behavioural tests to assess the neuropsychiatric phenotypes of IFN-α-treated NZB/NZW F1 mice and found that these mice developed a series of mental disorders such as anxiety-like phenotypes, depression-like phenotypes, deficits in sociability and cognitive impairments, which mimic the neuropsychiatric manifestations of NP-SLE, with a consistent onset and progression.

Conclusions

Our research verified that IFN-α plays a critical role in NP-SLE and provides a comprehensive NP-SLE mouse model for dissecting the mechanisms of NP-SLE and developing novel therapies for intervention.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13075-019-1985-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Gene Therapy for Chronic HBV-Can We Eliminate cccDNA?

Chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a global health concern and accounts for approximately 1 million deaths annually. Amongst other limitations of current anti-HBV treatment, failure to eliminate the viral covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) and emergence of resistance remain the most worrisome. Viral rebound from latent episomal cccDNA reservoirs occurs following cessation of therapy, patient non-compliance, or the development of escape mutants. Simultaneous viral co-infections, such as by HIV-1, further complicate therapeutic interventions. These challenges have prompted development of novel targeted hepatitis B therapies. Given the ease with which highly specific and potent nucleic acid therapeutics can be rationally designed, gene therapy has generated interest for antiviral application. Gene therapy strategies developed for HBV include gene silencing by harnessing RNA interference, transcriptional inhibition through epigenetic modification of target DNA, genome editing by designer nucleases, and immune modulation with cytokines. DNA-binding domains and effectors based on the zinc finger (ZF), transcription activator-like effector (TALE), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) systems are remarkably well suited to targeting episomal cccDNA. This review discusses recent developments and challenges facing the field of anti-HBV gene therapy, its potential curative significance and the progress towards clinical application.

Inhibition of hepatitis B virus replication by helper dependent adenoviral vectors expressing artificial anti-HBV pri-miRs from a liver-specific promoter

Research on applying RNA interference (RNAi) to counter HBV replication has led to identification of potential therapeutic sequences. However, before clinical application liver-specific expression and efficient delivery of these sequences remain an important objective. We recently reported short-term inhibition of HBV replication in vivo by using helper dependent adenoviral vectors (HD Ads) expressing anti-HBV sequences from a constitutively active cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter. To develop the use of liver-specific transcription regulatory elements we investigated the utility of the murine transthyretin (MTTR) promoter for expression of anti-HBV primary microRNAs (pri-miRs). HD Ads containing MTTR promoter effected superior expression of anti-HBV pri-miRs in mice compared to HD Ads containing the CMV promoter. MTTR-containing HD Ads resulted in HBV replication knockdown of up to 94% in mice. HD Ads expressing trimeric anti-HBV pri-miRs silenced HBV replication for 5 weeks. We previously showed that the product of the codelivered lacZ gene induces an immune response, and the duration of HBV silencing in vivo is likely to be attenuated by this effect. Nevertheless, expression of anti-HBV pri-miRs from MTTR promoter is well suited to countering HBV replication and development of HD Ads through attenuation of their immunostimulatory effects should advance their clinical utility.

New approaches to rapidly control foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks

Economically, foot-and-mouth disease is the most important viral-induced livestock disease worldwide. The disease is highly contagious and foot-and-mouth disease virus replicates and spreads extremely rapidly. Recent outbreaks in previously foot-and-mouth disease-free countries and the potential use of foot-and-mouth disease virus by terrorist groups have demonstrated the vulnerability of countries and the need to develop control strategies that can rapidly inhibit or limit spread of the disease. The current vaccine, an inactivated whole-virus preparation, has a number of limitations for use in outbreaks in disease-free countries. This review discusses the potential of the antiviral agent, Type I interferon, to produce rapid protection and proposes a combination strategy of an antiviral agent and a foot-and-mouth disease vaccine to induce both immediate and long-lasting protective responses.

Safety profile, efficacy, and biodistribution of a bicistronic high-capacity adenovirus vector encoding a combined immunostimulation and cytotoxic gene therapy as a prelude to a phase I clinical trial for glioblastoma

Adenoviral vectors (Ads) are promising gene delivery vehicles due to their high transduction efficiency; however, their clinical usefulness has been hampered by their immunogenicity and the presence of anti-Ad immunity in humans. We reported the efficacy of a gene therapy approach for glioma consisting of intratumoral injection of Ads encoding conditionally cytotoxic herpes simplex type 1 thymidine kinase (Ad-TK) and the immunostimulatory cytokine fms-like tyrosine kinase ligand 3 (Ad-Flt3L). Herein, we report the biodistribution, efficacy, and neurological and systemic effects of a bicistronic high-capacity Ad, i.e., HC-Ad-TK/TetOn-Flt3L. HC-Ads elicit sustained transgene expression, even in the presence of anti-Ad immunity, and can encode large therapeutic cassettes, including regulatory elements to enable turning gene expression "on" or "off" according to clinical need. The inclusion of two therapeutic transgenes within a single vector enables a reduction of the total vector load without adversely impacting efficacy. Because clinically the vectors will be delivered into the surgical cavity, normal regions of the brain parenchyma are likely to be transduced. Thus, we assessed any potential toxicities elicited by escalating doses of HC-Ad-TK/TetOn-Flt3L (1×10(8), 1×10(9), or 1×10(10) viral particles [vp]) delivered into the rat brain parenchyma. We assessed neuropathology, biodistribution, transgene expression, systemic toxicity, and behavioral impact at acute and chronic time points. The results indicate that doses up to 1×10(9) vp of HC-Ad-TK/TetOn-Flt3L can be safely delivered into the normal rat brain and underpin further developments for its implementation in a phase I clinical trial for glioma.

Therapeutic potential of adenoviral vectors for delivery of expressed RNAi activators

IMPORTANCE OF THE FIELD

Harnessing RNA interference (RNAi) to silence pathology-causing genes has shown promise as a mode of therapy. The sustained gene inhibition that may be achieved with expressed sequences is potentially useful for treatment of chronic viral infections, but efficient and safe delivery of these sequences remains a challenge. It is generally recognized that there is no ideal vector for all therapeutic RNAi applications, but recombinant adenovirus vectors are well suited to hepatic delivery of expressed RNAi activators.

AREAS COVERED IN THIS REVIEW

Adenoviruses are hepatotropic after systemic administration, and this is useful for delivering expressed RNAi activators that silence pathology-causing genes in the liver. However, drawbacks of adenoviruses are toxicity and diminished efficacy, which result from induction of innate and adaptive immune responses. In this review, the advantages and hurdles facing therapeutic application of adenoviral vectors for liver delivery of RNAi effectors are covered.

WHAT THE READER WILL GAIN

Insights into adenovirus vectorology and the methods that have been used to make these vectors safer for advancing clinical application of RNAi-based therapy.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE

Adenoviruses are very powerful hepatotropic vectors. To make adenoviruses more effective for clinical use, polymer conjugation and deletion of viral vector sequences have been used successfully. However, further modifications to attenuate immunostimulation as well as improvements in large-scale production are necessary before the therapeutic potential of adenovirus-mediated delivery of RNAi activators is realized.

Murine coronavirus delays expression of a subset of interferon-stimulated genes

The importance of the type I interferon (IFN-I) system in limiting coronavirus replication and dissemination has been unequivocally demonstrated by rapid lethality following infection of mice lacking the alpha/beta IFN (IFN-alpha/beta) receptor with mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), a murine coronavirus. Interestingly, MHV has a cell-type-dependent ability to resist the antiviral effects of IFN-alpha/beta. In primary bone-marrow-derived macrophages and mouse embryonic fibroblasts, MHV replication was significantly reduced by the IFN-alpha/beta-induced antiviral state, whereas IFN treatment of cell lines (L2 and 293T) has only minor effects on replication (K. M. Rose and S. R. Weiss, Viruses 1:689-712, 2009). Replication of other RNA viruses, including Theiler's murine encephalitis virus (TMEV), vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), Sindbis virus, Newcastle disease virus (NDV), and Sendai virus (SeV), was significantly inhibited in L2 cells treated with IFN-alpha/beta, and MHV had the ability to rescue only SeV replication. We present evidence that MHV infection can delay interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) induction mediated by both SeV and IFN-beta but only when MHV infection precedes SeV or IFN-beta exposure. Curiously, we observed no block in the well-defined IFN-beta signaling pathway that leads to STAT1-STAT2 phosphorylation and translocation to the nucleus in cultures infected with MHV. This observation suggests that MHV must inhibit an alternative IFN-induced pathway that is essential for early induction of ISGs. The ability of MHV to delay SeV-mediated ISG production may partially involve limiting the ability of IFN regulatory factor 3 (IRF-3) to function as a transcription factor. Transcription from an IRF-3-responsive promoter was partially inhibited by MHV; however, IRF-3 was transported to the nucleus and bound DNA in MHV-infected cells superinfected with SeV.

Murine Coronavirus Cell Type Dependent Interaction with the Type I Interferon Response

Coronaviruses infect many species of animal including humans, causing acute and chronic diseases of many organ systems. Murine coronavirus, mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) infection of the mouse, provides animal models for the study of central nervous system disease, including encephalitis and demyelinating diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis and for hepatitis. While there are many studies of the adaptive immune response to MHV, there has until recently been scant information on the type I interferon (IFN) response to MHV. The relationship between MHV and the IFN-alpha/beta response is paradoxical. While the type I IFN response is a crucial aspect of host defense against MHV in its natural host, there is little if any induction of IFN following infection of mouse fibroblast cell lines in vitro. Furthermore, MHV is relatively resistant to the antiviral effects of IFN-alpha/beta in mouse fibroblast cell lines and in human 293T cells. MHV can, under some circumstances, compromise the antiviral effects of IFN signaling. The nucleocapsid protein as well as the nsp1 and nsp3 proteins of MHV has been reported to have IFN antagonist activity. However, in primary cell types such as plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) and macrophages, IFN is induced by MHV infection and an antiviral state is established. Other primary cell types such as neurons, astrocytes and hepatocytes fail to produce IFN following infection and, in vivo, likely depend on IFN produced by pDCs and macrophages for protection from MHV. Thus MHV induction of IFN-alpha/beta and the ability to induce an antiviral state in response to interferon is extremely cell type dependent. IFN induced protection from MHV pathogenesis likely requires the orchestrated activities of several cell types, however, the cell types involved in limiting MHV replication may be different in the liver and in the immune privileged CNS.

Role of ISGF3 in modulating the anti-hepatitis B virus activity of interferon-alpha in vitro

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Although interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) is an effective treatment for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, its precise mechanism of action has not been identified. In this study, we investigated the role of signal transduction pathways in the activation of anti-HBV responses mediated by IFN-alpha.

METHODS

Using an oligo microarray, we found that four genes in the IFN-alpha signal pathway were markedly upregulated by IFN-alpha in human hepatoma cells regardless of whether they had been transfected with a plasmid containing the HBV genome: signal transducers and activators of transcription 1 (STAT1), interferon regulatory factor-9 (IRF-9, also called ISGF3gamma or P48), IFN-alpha-inducible protein 15 (IFI-15) and IFN-alpha-inducible protein 6-16 (IFI-6-16). We also investigated the role of IFN-stimulated gene factor3 (ISGF3) complex in IFN-alpha-mediated anti-HBV responses in human hepatoma cells by measuring the mRNA of the three genes within ISGF3 (STAT1, STAT2 and IRF-9) using semiquantitative reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR), and expression of the three proteins by western blot, and the mRNA and protein of dsRNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR).

RESULTS

STAT1, STAT2, IRF-9 and PKR mRNA as well as protein levels were upregulated by IFN-alpha treatment. When cells were pretreated with genistein, STAT1, STAT2 and IRF-9 mRNA levels remained unchanged after IFN-alpha stimulation, but PKR mRNA levels decreased, and the expression of the STAT1, P-STAT2, IRF-9 and PKR proteins decreased. Levels of HBV DNA decreased in the supernatants of cells treated with IFN-alpha, while ISGF3 levels increased. The quantity of HBV DNA remained unchanged by pretreating with genistein.

CONCLUSIONS

These observations suggested that the Janus tyrosine kinase-STAT (JAK-STAT) pathway may play a major role in mediating the effects of IFN-alpha against HBV, and that ISGF3 might be a key factor.

Interferon and cytokine responses to SARS-coronavirus infection

The sudden emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has boosted research on innate immune responses to coronaviruses. It is now well established that the causative agent, a newly identified coronavirus termed SARS-CoV, employs multiple passive and active mechanisms to avoid induction of the antiviral type I interferons in tissue cells. By contrast, chemokines such as IP-10 or IL-8 are strongly upregulated. The imbalance in the IFN response is thought to contribute to the establishment of viremia early in infection, whereas the production of chemokines by infected organs may be responsible for (i) massive immune cell infiltrations found in the lungs of SARS victims, and (ii) the dysregulation of adaptive immunity. Here, we will review the most recent findings on the interaction of SARS-CoV and related Coronaviridae members with the type I interferon and cytokine responses and discuss implications for pathogenesis and therapy.

Inhibition of the alpha/beta interferon response by mouse hepatitis virus at multiple levels

Mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) was used as a model to study the interaction of coronaviruses with the alpha/beta interferon (IFN-alpha/beta) response. While MHV strain A59 appeared to induce IFN-beta gene transcription and low levels of nuclear translocation of the IFN-beta transcription factor interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF-3), MHV did not induce IFN-beta protein production during the course of infection in L2 mouse fibroblast cells. In addition, MHV was able to significantly decrease the level of IFN-beta protein induced by both Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and Sendai virus infections, without targeting it for proteasomal degradation and without altering the nuclear translocation of IRF-3 or IFN-beta mRNA production or stability. These results indicate that MHV infection causes an inhibition of IFN-beta production at a posttranscriptional level, without altering RNA or protein stability. In contrast, MHV induced IFN-beta mRNA and protein production in the brains of infected animals, suggesting that the inhibitory mechanisms observed in vitro are not enough to prevent IFN-alpha/beta production in vivo. Furthermore, MHV replication is highly resistant to IFN-alpha/beta action, as indicated by unimpaired MHV replication in L2 cells pretreated with IFN-beta. However, when L2 cells were coinfected with MHV and NDV in the presence of IFN-beta, NDV, but not MHV, replication was inhibited. Thus, rather than disarming the antiviral activity induced by IFN-beta pretreatment completely, MHV may be inherently resistant to some aspects of the antiviral state induced by IFN-beta. These findings show that MHV employs unique strategies to circumvent the IFN-alpha/beta response at multiple steps.

Immunomodulation as an option for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus infection: preclinical studies in the woodchuck model

New therapeutic approaches for chronic hepatitis B virus infection based on immunomodulation are now under investigation. The woodchuck model for hepatitis B virus infection has emerged as a useful animal model for the evaluation of such approaches, after developing necessary assays and reagents for immunologic studies in this model. Conventional and novel vaccines such as DNA vaccines were tested in woodchucks for their ability to induce protective immune responses against challenge infection with the woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV). Furthermore, immunotherapeutic approaches for the control of chronic hepadnaviral infection were evaluated in woodchucks. Immunizations with WHV proteins and DNA vaccines led to the development of antibodies to the WHV surface antigen and to a significant decrease of viral load in chronically WHV-infected woodchucks. Viral vector-mediated gene transfer was explored for the delivery of antiviral cytokines IFN-alpha in woodchucks and resulted in the decrease of viral replication. It is now generally accepted that a combination of antiviral treatment and immunization will be necessary to achieve successful immunomodulation with a long-term control of chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

Immune responses against tetracycline-dependent transactivators affect long-term expression of mouse erythropoietin delivered by a helper-dependent adenoviral vector

BACKGROUND

Helper-dependent adenoviral (HD-Ad) vectors give rise to sustained gene expression after delivery in a variety of organisms. In particular, we previously documented persistent expression of erythropoietin (EPO) in mice after a single intramuscular (i.m.) injection of a HD-Ad vector harboring the mouse EPO cDNA.

METHODS

We use the same vector harboring the tetracycline (tet)-dependent transactivator (rtTA2S-M2) and silencer (tTS) and mouse EPO cDNA to analyze the capacity of the dual tet-dependent transactivator system to control long-term EPO gene expression and to study the effect of an eventual immune response against these artificial proteins after i.m. delivery in immuno-competent mice.

RESULTS

In the present study we demonstrate that i.m. injection of this vector in immuno-competent mice generates a cellular immune response to the rtTA2S-M2 transcription factor. This response curtails the duration of mouse EPO expression in mice, presumably by destroying the cells that co-express transcription factors and the therapeutic gene. Nonetheless, regulation of mouse EPO secretion was maintained during the entire experimental period, both when the vector dosage was reduced and when the tet-dependent transcription factors were put under the control of a muscle-specific promoter.

CONCLUSIONS

Delivery of the tet transactivators using as vehicle a HD-Ad vector induced an immune response directed against the transactivators themselves, causing short-term therapeutic transgene expression. Regulated, long-term therapeutic transgene expression was, however, obtained by reducing the vector dose or expressing the transactivators under the control of a muscle-specific promoter.

Overexpression of acyl-CoA synthetase-1 increases lipid deposition in hepatic (HepG2) cells and rodent liver in vivo

Accumulation of intracellular lipid in obesity is associated with metabolic disease in many tissues including liver. Storage of fatty acid as triglyceride (TG) requires the activation of fatty acids to long-chain acyl-CoAs (LC-CoA) by the enzyme acyl-CoA synthetase (ACSL). There are five known isoforms of ACSL (ACSL1, -3, -4, -5, -6), which vary in their tissue specificity and affinity for fatty acid substrates. To investigate the role of ACSL1 in the regulation of lipid metabolism, we used adenoviral-mediated gene transfer to overexpress ACSL1 in the human hepatoma cell-line HepG2 and in liver of rodents. Infection of HepG2 cells with the adenoviral construct AdACSL1 increased ACSL activity >10-fold compared with controls after 24 h. HepG2 cells overexpressing ACSL1 had a 40% higher triglyceride (TG) content (93 +/- 3 vs. 67 +/- 2 nmol/mg protein in controls, P < 0.05) after 24-h exposure to 1 mM oleate. Furthermore, ACSL1 overexpression produced a 60% increase in cellular LCA-CoA content (160 +/- 6 vs. 100 +/- 6 nmol/g protein in controls, P < 0.05) and increased [(14)C]oleate incorporation into TG without significantly altering fatty acid oxidation. In mice, AdACSL1 administration increased ACSL1 mRNA and protein more than fivefold over controls at 4 days postinfection. ACSL1 overexpression caused a twofold increase in TG content in mouse liver (39 +/- 4 vs. 20 +/- 2 mumol/g wet wt in controls, P < 0.05), and overexpression in rat liver increased [1-(14)C]palmitate clearance into liver TG. These in vitro and in vivo results suggest a pivotal role for ACSL1 in regulating TG synthesis in liver.

Transcriptional profiling of acute cytopathic murine hepatitis virus infection in fibroblast-like cells

Understanding the orchestrated genome-wide cellular responses is critical for comprehending the early events of coronavirus infection. Microarray analysis was applied to assess changes in cellular expression profiles during different stages of two independent, highly controlled murine hepatitis virus (MHV) infections in vitro. Fibroblast-like L cells were infected at high multiplicity in order to study the direct effects of a synchronized lytic coronavirus infection. Total RNA was harvested from MHV- or mock-infected L cells at 3, 5 and 6 h post-infection and hybridized to Affymetrix microarrays representing approximately 12,500 murine genes and expressed sequences. The expression data were compared to their respective mock-infected controls. Quantitative RT-PCR of selected transcripts was used to validate the differential expression of transcripts and inter-experiment reproducibility of microarray analysis. It was concluded that MHV-A59 infection in fibroblast-like cells triggers very few transcriptional cellular responses in the first 3 h of infection. Later, after having established a productive infection, a chemokine response is induced together with other cellular changes associated with RNA and protein metabolism, cell cycle and apoptosis. Interferon responses are not triggered during infection, although the L cells can be readily stimulated to produce interferon by dsRNA, a known potent inducer of interferon. Possibly, the interferon response is actively counteracted by a virus-encoded antagonist as has been described previously for other RNA viruses.

Genetic vaccines against Ep-CAM break tolerance to self in a limited subset of subjects: initial identification of predictive biomarkers

The epithelial cell adhesion molecule, Ep-CAM, has been historically considered a target of passive immunotherapy using monoclonal antibodies, and more recently, of a first Pox-vector-based cancer vaccine Phase I trial in colorectal cancer patients. To shed further light on the use of this antigen, we isolated the mouse and rhesus homologues of human Ep-CAM and explored different genetic vaccination modalities based on the use of adenoviral vectors as well as DNA electroporation (DNA-EP). Immune responses to Ep-CAM were measured by IFN-gamma ELISPOT and intracellular staining assays using overlapping sets of peptides covering the entire coding regions. We found the most powerful vaccination regimen to be constituted by DNA-EP-prime/Adeno-boost mixed-modality protocols. Vaccination in rhesus macaques resulted in breakage of immunological tolerance in a minority of cases. Similarly, a low frequency of responders was observed with the mouse Ep-CAM vaccine in outbred CD1 mice. When immunized CD1 mice were analyzed for MHC haplotype and TCR expression levels, we observed that immune responders all had the same q/q MHC class I haplotype and showed higher expression levels of the TCRVbeta4 and TCRVbeta8 T cell receptors. Our results underscore the current limitations in our capacity to induce efficient cancer vaccines against self antigens like Ep-CAM, but also represent a first effort to identify predictive biomarkers of response.

IFN-alpha gene therapy for woodchuck hepatitis with adeno-associated virus: differences in duration of gene expression and antiviral activity using intraportal or intramuscular routes

Gene delivery of IFN-alpha to the liver may represent an interesting strategy to maximize its antiviral efficacy and reduce side effects. We used a recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) encoding woodchuck IFN-alpha (AAV-IFN) to treat animals with chronic woodchuck hepatitis virus infection. The vector was given by intraportal or intramuscular route. Long-term transgene expression was detected after intraportal administration of an AAV encoding luciferase. In contrast, in the majority of the animals that received AAV-IFN through the portal vein, the expression of IFN-alpha was transient (30-40 days) and was associated with a significant but transient decrease in viral load. One animal, in which hepatic production of IFN-alpha persisted at high levels, died because of bone marrow toxicity. The disappearance of IFN-alpha expression correlated with the disappearance of AAV genomes from the liver. Intramuscular administration of AAV-IFN resulted in prolonged but fluctuating expression of the cytokine with no significant antiviral effect. In summary, this report shows that long-term expression of IFN-alpha in muscle is feasible but higher interferon levels might be needed to control viral replication. On the other hand, IFN-alpha gene delivery to the liver using an AAV vector induces a significant but transient antiviral effect in the woodchuck model.

Gutless adenovirus: last-generation adenovirus for gene therapy

Last-generation adenovirus vectors, also called helper-dependent or gutless adenovirus, are very attractive for gene therapy because the associated in vivo immune response is highly reduced compared to first- and second-generation adenovirus vectors, while maintaining high transduction efficiency and tropism. Nowadays, gutless adenovirus is administered in different organs, such as the liver, muscle or the central nervous system achieving high-level and long-term transgene expression in rodents and primates. However, as devoid of all viral coding regions, gutless vectors require viral proteins supplied in trans by a helper virus. To remove contamination by a helper virus from the final preparation, different systems based on the excision of the helper-packaging signal have been generated. Among them, Cre-loxP system is mostly used, although contamination levels still are 0.1-1% too high to be used in clinical trials. Recently developed strategies to avoid/reduce helper contamination were reviewed.

Inhibition of Beta interferon induction by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus suggests a two-step model for activation of interferon regulatory factor 3

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is caused by a novel coronavirus termed SARS-CoV. We and others have previously shown that the replication of SARS-CoV can be suppressed by exogenously added interferon (IFN), a cytokine which is normally synthesized by cells as a reaction to virus infection. Here, we demonstrate that SARS-CoV escapes IFN-mediated growth inhibition by preventing the induction of IFN-beta. In SARS-CoV-infected cells, no endogenous IFN-beta transcripts and no IFN-beta promoter activity were detected. Nevertheless, the transcription factor interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF-3), which is essential for IFN-beta promoter activity, was transported from the cytoplasm to the nucleus early after infection with SARS-CoV. However, at a later time point in infection, IRF-3 was again localized in the cytoplasm. By contrast, IRF-3 remained in the nucleus of cells infected with the IFN-inducing control virus Bunyamwera delNSs. Other signs of IRF-3 activation such as hyperphosphorylation, homodimer formation, and recruitment of the coactivator CREB-binding protein (CBP) were found late after infection with the control virus but not with SARS-CoV. Our data suggest that nuclear transport of IRF-3 is an immediate-early reaction to virus infection and may precede its hyperphosphorylation, homodimer formation, and binding to CBP. In order to escape activation of the IFN system, SARS-CoV appears to block a step after the early nuclear transport of IRF-3.

Regulated and liver-specific tamarin alpha interferon gene delivery by a helper-dependent adenoviral vector

Gene therapy approaches based on liver-restricted and regulated alpha interferon (IFN-alpha) expression, recently shown to be effective in different murine hepatitis models, appear promising alternatives to inhibit hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication in patients and minimize side effects. Tamarins (Saguinus species) infected by GB virus B (GBV-B) are considered a valid surrogate model for hepatitis C to study the biology of HCV infection and the development of new antiviral drugs. To test the efficacy of local delivery and expression of IFN-alpha in this model, we have developed HD-TET-tIFN, a helper-dependent adenovirus vector expressing tamarin IFN-alpha (tIFN) under the control of the tetracycline-inducible transactivator rtTA2s-S2. Expression of tIFN was successfully induced both in vitro and in vivo in rodents by doxycycline administration with consequent activation of IFN-responsive genes. More importantly, tIFN efficiently inhibited GBV-B replicon in a Huh-7 hepatoma cell line at low HD-TET-tIFN doses. A certain degree of transcriptional control of tIFN was achieved in tamarins injected with HD-TET-tIFN, but under the conditions used in this study, infection and replication of GBV-B were only delayed and not totally abrogated upon virus challenge. Hepatic delivery and regulated expression of IFN-alpha appear to be a possible approach for the cure of hepatitis, but this approach requires more studies to increase its efficacy. To our knowledge, this is the first report showing a regulated gene expression in a nonhuman primate hepatitis model.

Helper-dependent adenoviral vector-mediated delivery of woodchuck-specific genes for alpha interferon (IFN-alpha) and IFN-gamma: IFN-alpha but not IFN-gamma reduces woodchuck hepatitis virus replication in chronic infection in vivo

Alpha interferon (IFN-alpha) and IFN-gamma are able to suppress hepadnavirus replication. The intrahepatic expression of high levels of IFN may enhance the antiviral activity. We investigated the effects of woodchuck-specific IFN-alpha (wIFN-alpha) and IFN-gamma(wIFN-gamma) on woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) replication in vivo by helper-dependent adenoviral (HD-Ad) vector-mediated gene transfer. The expression of biologically active IFNs was demonstrated in vitro after transduction of woodchuck cells with HD-Ad vectors encoding wIFN-alpha (HD-AdwIFN-alpha) or wIFN-gamma (HD-AdwIFN-gamma). The transduction efficacy of the HD-Ad vector in woodchuck liver in vivo was tested with a vector expressing green fluorescence protein (GFP). Immunohistochemical staining of liver samples on day 5 after injection showed expression of GFP in a high percentage of liver cells surrounding the central vein. The transduction of livers of WHV carriers in vivo with HD-AdwIFN-alpha or HD-AdwIFN-gamma induced levels of biologically active IFN, which could be measured in the sera of these animals. Expression of wIFN-alpha in the liver reduced intrahepatic WHV replication and WHV DNA in sera of about 1 log step in two of two woodchucks. Transduction with HD-AdwIFN-gamma, however, reduced WHV replicative intermediates only slightly in two of three animals, which was not accompanied with significant changes in the WHV DNA in sera. We demonstrated for the first time the successful HD-Ad vector-mediated transfer of genes for IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma in vivo and timely limited reduction of WHV replication by wIFN-alpha, but not by wIFN-gamma.

Adenoviral Vectors for Gene Replacement Therapy

Adenovirus-based vectors are promising vehicles for gene replacement therapy due to their ability to efficiently transduce a wide variety of proliferating and non-proliferating cells. Over the past decade, different versions of adenoviral vectors (Ads) have been developed. These vectors can be classified into two major categories, based on whether the viral coding sequences are partially (first or second-generation Ads) or completely deleted (helper-dependent or gutted Ads). Both types of Ads have been tested in a variety of gene delivery studies, and major obstacles to their clinical application have been identified. Currently, innate and adaptive host immune responses to Ads remain major challenges, limiting both the initial viral dose and the effectiveness of subsequent administrations. Recent developments in vector design and delivery methods have improved the potential of Ads for successful gene therapy application.

Hepatitis B virus enhances transduction of human hepatocytes by SV40-based vectors

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Chronic HBV infection, a world-wide epidemic, can lead to chronic hepatitis and eventually to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The liver poses obstacles for many available gene-transfer vectors. SV40-based vectors can transduce human hepatic and hematopoietic cells. We studied the effect of HBV on the transduction - efficiency of human hepatic cells by SV40 - based vectors.

METHODS

A SV40-vector carrying the luciferase gene, and wild-type SV40, were used to assess transduction efficiency of human HBV-positive and HBV-negative hepatic cells. Transduction efficiency was measured as luciferase activity or by T-antigen staining. To evaluate whether differences in transduction efficiency are due to cell recognition and/or nuclear transport, MHC-I receptors were measured by FACS analysis and SV40-DNA was extracted from the nuclei of transduced cells and quantified.

RESULTS

Two HBV-positive cell-lines, HepG2.2.2.15 and FLC4-A10II, were transduced significantly more efficiently than their parental HBV-negative cell-lines. Transient transfection of HuH-7 cells with the HBV genome also increased transduction efficiency. The level of MHC-I, the cellular receptor for SV40, was comparable in all the cell-lines studied. However, soon after infection with SV40, the nuclei of HepG2.2.2.15 contained >6-fold more SV40-DNA than HepG2.

CONCLUSIONS

HBV increases transduction by SV40-vectors. This is due to enhanced vector entry and/or transport into the nucleus. SV40-vectors appear to have a potential for gene therapy for the treatment of HBV infections.

Helper-Dependent Adenoviral Vectors Containing Modified Fiber for Improved Transduction of Developing and Mature Muscle Cells

Adenoviruses (Ads) have shown great utility as vectors for the delivery of genes to mammalian cells, partly because of their ability to infect a wide range of different cell types independent of the replicative state of the cell. However, Ads do not transduce mature muscle efficiently because of low levels of the natural viral primary receptor, the coxsackie virus and adenovirus receptor, on the surface of adult muscle cells. In this study, we have addressed whether incorporation of polylysine [p(K)] or arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) placed in the H-I loop of the adenoviral fiber protein can improve helper-dependent Ad vector (hdAd) transduction of mature muscle cells. We show that incorporation of the p(K) motif into the fiber of early region 1 (E1)-deleted Ad results in enhanced transduction of undifferentiated and differentiated C2C12 cells relative to a virus, containing a wild-type fiber (12- and 21-fold enhancement, respectively). Incorporation of the RGD motif resulted in only a 60-70% increase in transduction efficiency in these cells. The two fiber modifications were then incorporated into helper viruses for use in the Cre-lox system for generating hdAd, and the resulting retargeted Ad vectors, which encoded the beta-galactosidase reporter gene (beta-Gal), demonstrated enhanced transduction of C2C12 cells in culture. Although hdAdpK also showed enhanced infection of mature mouse muscle in vivo, hdAdRGD did not. All hdAd vectors elicited only minor anti-Ad immune responses, compared with an E1-deleted control vector, but each vector elicited strong anti-beta-Gal immunoreactivity. Our results demonstrate that hdAd with modified cell tropism can be generated efficiently and, in the case of polylysine-modified hdAd, can lead to improved transduction of adult muscle cells in vivo.

The glycosylation status of the murine hepatitis coronavirus M protein affects the interferogenic capacity of the virus in vitro and its ability to replicate in the liver but not the brain

The coronavirus M protein, the most abundant coronaviral envelope component, is invariably glycosylated, which provides the virion with a diffuse, hydrophilic cover on its outer surface. Remarkably, while the group 1 and group 3 coronaviruses all have M proteins with N-linked sugars, the M proteins of the group 2 coronaviruses [e.g., mouse hepatitis virus (MHV)] are O-glycosylated. The conservation of the N- and O-glycosylation motifs suggests that each of these types of carbohydrate modifications is beneficial to their respective virus. Since glycosylation of the M protein is not required for virus assembly, the oligosaccharides are likely to be involved in the virus-host interaction. In order to investigate the role of the M protein glycosylation in the host, two genetically modified MHVs were generated by using targeted RNA recombination. The recombinant viruses carried M proteins that were either N-glycosylated or not glycosylated at all, and these were compared with the parental, O-glycosylated, virus. The M protein glycosylation state did not influence the tissue culture growth characteristics of the recombinant viruses. However, it affected their interferogenic capacity as measured using fixed, virus-infected cells. Viruses containing M proteins with N-linked sugars induced type I interferons to higher levels than viruses carrying M proteins with O-linked sugars. MHV with unglycosylated M proteins appeared to be a poor interferon inducer. In mice, the recombinant viruses differed in their ability to replicate in the liver, but not in the brain, whereas their in vivo interferogenic capacity did not appear to be affected by their glycosylation status. Strikingly, their abilities to replicate in the liver correlated with their in vitro interferogenic capacity. This apparent correlation might be explained by the functioning of lectins, such as the mannose receptor, which are abundantly expressed in the liver but also play a role in the induction of interferon-alpha by dendritic cells.

The promise of gene therapy in gastrointestinal and liver diseases

Gene therapy consists of the transfer of genetic material to cells to achieve a therapeutic goal. In the field of gastroenterology and hepatology gene therapy has produced considerable expectation as a potential tool in the management of conditions that lack effective therapy including non-resectable neoplasms of the liver, pancreas and gastrointestinal tract, chronic viral hepatitis unresponsive to interferon therapy, liver cirrhosis, and inflammatory bowel disease.

The woodchuck interferon-alpha system: Cloning, family description, and biologic activity

Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) is a key element in the defense against viral infection because, in addition to a direct antiviral effect, it exhibits potent immunostimulatory activity. To investigate the function of this cytokine in the woodchuck model of chronic hepatitis B, the woodchuck IFN-alpha gene (IFNA) family was cloned and examined. The data indicate that this is a multigenic family from which 12 IFNA functional sequences and four pseudogene sequences were isolated. The overall identity of the amino acid sequence among the members of the woodchuck IFN-alpha family is 85%, and the identity with the IFN-alpha family from other species such as mice and humans is 50%. The analysis of hepatic expression of IFNA genes showed that wIFNA5a was the subtype transcribed preferentially in the woodchuck liver. The wIFNA genes transcribed in the liver were tested in an eukaryotic expression system and were found to enhance 2-5-oligoadenylate synthetase (2-5-OAS) mRNA levels and to posses a potent antiviral activity. Cloning of woodchuck IFNA genes will allow testing diverse forms of IFN-alpha delivery as well as different combination therapies in woodchuck hepatitis virus infection, thus providing useful information for the design of new strategies for the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Expression of a new woodchuck IFN-alpha gene by a helper-dependent adenoviral vector in woodchuck hepatitis virus-infected primary hepatocytes

Recombinant interferon-alpha (rIFN-alpha) is currently used in the treatment of viral hepatitis either alone or in combination with small molecules. However, this treatment is not very efficacious, and more effective protocols are needed. To this end, we have explored the woodchuck hepatitis system, validated as an infection model for vaccination and antiviral studies against human hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The lack of a woodchuck IFN-alpha (WoIFN-alpha) homolog has prevented study of viral inhibition, which may be instrumental in understanding the IFN-alpha-induced antiviral pathways responsible for HBV clearance in humans. We have, therefore, cloned two WoIFN-alpha homologs from the woodchuck genome, which showed high similarity to the human IFN-alpha (HuIFN-alpha) gene at both nucleotide and amino acid levels. WoIFN-alpha showed a species-specific activity without any efficacy on human or mouse cells. In agreement with this antiviral activity, induction of Mx protein was observed in woodchuck cells only on WoIFN-alpha treatment. The antiviral efficacy of a WoIFN-alpha gene transfer was explored using a helper-dependent adenoviral (Ad) vector (HD-WoIFN) as a delivery vehicle. This treatment resulted in the reduction of woodchuck hepatitis viral proteins in primary hepatocytes from chronically woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV)-infected woodchucks.

Transient transfection of mouse fibroblasts with type I interferon transgenes provides various degrees of protection against herpes simplex virus infection

Type I interferons (IFN) constitute one of the initial and most potent components of the innate immune response against viral infections. While there is only one IFN-beta gene, there are several IFN-alpha genes whose products act through the same receptor calling into question the role of these gene products against viral infection. The focus of the present study was to compare the anti-viral state of cells transiently transfected with different murine type I IFN transgenes including IFN-alpha1, -alpha4, -alpha5, -alpha6, -alpha9, and IFN-beta. Transfected cells produced biologically active IFN ranging from 6 to 46 units/ml. L929 and 3T12.3 cells transfected with the IFN-beta transgene consistently showed a 2-4 fold reduction in herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and HSV-2 viral titers compared with cells transfected with the IFN-alpha transgenes which were much less consistent based on HSV species and cell type. Parallel with the reduction in viral titers, cells transfected with the IFN-beta transgene showed the complete absence or significant reduction in viral immediate early, early, and late gene expression. Collectively, the results suggest that the IFN-beta transgene is superior to IFN-alpha transgenes against HSV infection in vitro in part due to a reduction in viral gene expression. These results indicate events downstream of the type I IFN receptor distinguish between the subtypes of IFN-alpha species relative to the activation of genes ultimately responsible for the establishment of the anti-HSV state.

Absence of PKR attenuates the anti-HSV-1 activity of an adenoviral vector expressing murine IFN-beta

A study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of an adenoviral vector containing the murine interferon-beta (IFN-beta) transgene (Ad:IFN-beta) against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection in two transduced cell lines. The transduction of the adenoviral vector efficiency, ranging from 2% to 100%, was dependent on the multiplicity of infection (moi) (0.4-50 plaque-forming units [pfu]/cell). Supernatants from cells transduced with the Ad:IFN-beta but not the adenoviral null vector (Ad:Null) contained biologically active IFN-beta (6.6-106 U/ml depending on the moi). Cells transduced with the Ad:IFN-beta displayed up to 25-fold reduction in viral titers compared with cells transduced with the Ad:Null or nontransduced cell controls. The suppression in viral titer correlated with a reduction in viral gene (alpha, beta, and gamma) and protein expression. The expression of IFN beta-responsive genes, including protein kinase R (PKR) and 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase (OAS), were significantly elevated in the Ad:IFN-beta-transduced cells by 12-fold and 25-fold, respectively. However, after infection with HSV-1, a transient but significant drop in PKR but not OAS gene expression was observed 10 h postinfection. The absence of PKR but not RNase L significantly attenuated the antiviral efficacy of the transgene. Collectively, these results illustrate the feasibility of employing a viral vector to deliver a potent antiviral gene to targeted cells without any obvious detriment to the vector itself and support an important role for PKR as a mediator of the anti-HSV-1 activity of type I IFN.

A DNA-based method to assay total and infectious particle contents and helper virus contamination in high-capacity adenoviral vector preparations

High-capacity adenoviral (HC-Ad) vectors are devoid of all viral genes. Therefore, these vectors feature reduced toxicity, immunogenicity, and increased capacity for foreign DNA. HC-Ad vectors are produced in E1-transformed cell lines in the presence of an E1-deleted helper virus that provides in trans all viral functions necessary for vector production. By cre/loxP- or FLPe/Frt-mediated recombination the packaging signal of the helper virus is excised during vector production resulting in nonpackagable helper virus genomes. Although recombinase-mediated excision of the packaging signal from the helper virus genome is highly efficient, a small number of helper virus genomes with retained packaging signals are still packaged into capsids. For clinical trials, HC-Ad vector preparations have to be characterized accurately with respect to the number of (1) total HC-Ad vector particles, (2) infectious HC-Ad vector particles, and (3) the number of contaminating helper virus particles. We describe a fast and versatile DNA-based biologic assay for determination of these three parameters by standard laboratory methods. This assay is a useful tool for determining bioactivity data of adenoviral vector preparations and, importantly, allows their comparison among different studies.

Cancer therapy utilizing an adenoviral vector expressing only E1A

The human adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) early region 1A (E1A) proteins have been shown to have potent antitumor effects, due to their ability to reprogram oncogenic signalling pathways in tumor cells. The success of E1A antitumor therapy in animal models has led to its use in phase I and phase II clinical trials, where liposome-based delivery vehicles are being used to deliver a plasmid encoding E1A. To increase the efficiency of E1A delivery to tumors, we have developed an Ad vector deleted of all viral protein coding sequences (termed helper-dependent Ad vectors, hdAds) with the exception of E1A, designated hdAd-E1A. In culture, this vector mediated high-level expression of E1A gene products. A549 cells, a human lung adenocarcinoma cell line, infected with hdAd-E1A showed a reduced proliferative capacity in adherent culture, and the ability to form colonies in soft agarose was completely abolished. In contrast, A549 infected with an hdAd expressing beta-gal were able to form colonies of a similar size and frequency as uninfected cells. Under serum-depleted conditions, expression of E1A within A549 led to the induction of apoptosis. Finally, A549 cells treated with hdAd-E1A showed approximately 10-fold greater sensitivity to the chemotherapeutic drug cisplatin. Taken together, these data indicate that the use of hdAd provides a simple and effective method to deliver E1A to cancer cells, and results in reduction in the tumorigenic potential of the cells, as well as increasing the cells sensitivity to anticancer drugs.

Superior tissue-specific expression from tyrosinase and prostate-specific antigen promoters/enhancers in helper-dependent compared with first-generation adenoviral vectors

The ability to target specific tissues is important in many applications of gene therapy. In this respect, a disadvantage of adenoviral vectors is the relative lack of specificity with which they transduce cells. One approach to overcome this is to express the therapeutic gene under the control of a tissue-specific promoter. However, the specificity and activity of these promoters may be altered by adenoviral sequences in the vector backbone. In contrast, helper-dependent adenoviral (HDAd) vectors [Parks, R.J., Chen, L., Anton, M., Sankar, U., Rudnicki, M.A., and Graham, F.L. (1996). Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 93, 13565-13570] are almost completely devoid of adenovirus sequences, and this may preserve the specificity of these heterologous promoters. We have compared HDAd and first-generation adenoviral (FGAd) vectors with respect to tissue-specific expression from prostate-specific antigen (PSA) or tyrosinase promoters/enhancers. A PSA-positive cell line (LNCaP) and a panel of PSA-negative cell lines were infected with HDAd vectors expressing luciferase under the control of three different kinds of PSA promoter/enhancer constructs. The results showed that these PSA promoter/enhancer cassettes in HDAd vectors maintained strict tissue-specific expression, but lost specificity when expressed from FGAd vectors. Similar results were observed with tyrosinase promoter-carrying vectors, except that the tyrosinase promoter retained a small degree of tissue specificity in FGAd vectors. Insertion of a murine cytomegalovirus immediate-early gene promoter-beta-galactosidase (MCMV-lacZ)-expressing cassette into a second site in the HDAd vector backbone significantly impaired the tissue specificity of the PSA and tyrosinase promoters. These results indicate that HDAd vectors are superior to FGAd vectors in their ability to maintain high levels of tissue-specific expression from PSA and tyrosinase promoters/enhancers. They also suggest that tissue-specific expression can be influenced not only by Ad sequences, but also by other viral and/or strong constitutive promoter/enhancers (such as the MCMV promoter) in the vector backbone.

Gene therapy for liver diseases: recent strategies for treatment of viral hepatitis and liver malignancies

Gene therapy has emerged as a powerful and very plastic tool to regulate biological functions in diseased tissues with application in virtually all medical fields. An increasing number of experimental and clinical studies underline the importance of genes as curative agents in the future. However, intense research is needed to evaluate the potential of gene therapy to improve efficacy and minimise the toxicity of the procedure.

Antiviral actions of interferons

Tremendous progress has been made in understanding the molecular basis of the antiviral actions of interferons (IFNs), as well as strategies evolved by viruses to antagonize the actions of IFNs. Furthermore, advances made while elucidating the IFN system have contributed significantly to our understanding in multiple areas of virology and molecular cell biology, ranging from pathways of signal transduction to the biochemical mechanisms of transcriptional and translational control to the molecular basis of viral pathogenesis. IFNs are approved therapeutics and have moved from the basic research laboratory to the clinic. Among the IFN-induced proteins important in the antiviral actions of IFNs are the RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR), the 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase (OAS) and RNase L, and the Mx protein GTPases. Double-stranded RNA plays a central role in modulating protein phosphorylation and RNA degradation catalyzed by the IFN-inducible PKR kinase and the 2'-5'-oligoadenylate-dependent RNase L, respectively, and also in RNA editing by the IFN-inducible RNA-specific adenosine deaminase (ADAR1). IFN also induces a form of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS2) and the major histocompatibility complex class I and II proteins, all of which play important roles in immune response to infections. Several additional genes whose expression profiles are altered in response to IFN treatment and virus infection have been identified by microarray analyses. The availability of cDNA and genomic clones for many of the components of the IFN system, including IFN-alpha, IFN-beta, and IFN-gamma, their receptors, Jak and Stat and IRF signal transduction components, and proteins such as PKR, 2',5'-OAS, Mx, and ADAR, whose expression is regulated by IFNs, has permitted the generation of mutant proteins, cells that overexpress different forms of the proteins, and animals in which their expression has been disrupted by targeted gene disruption. The use of these IFN system reagents, both in cell culture and in whole animals, continues to provide important contributions to our understanding of the virus-host interaction and cellular antiviral response.

Gene therapy strategies for the treatment of chronic viral hepatitis

Chronic viral hepatitis is a major clinical problem, with over half a billion persons infected worldwide. Current therapies, principally treatment with recombinant IFN-alpha protein, have limited benefit. Recent studies suggest that gene-based expression of IFN-alpha is a possible therapeutic alternative that may improve the effectiveness of treatment. Gene delivery to the liver and consequent IFN-alpha expression therein, has the potential to concentrate the protein at the target organ and provide more continuous exposure to the therapeutic agent. Other potential gene and nucleic acid therapeutics for viral hepatitis are also being investigated. Key to the deployment of these future therapies is a suitable method of gene delivery. Although recombinant viral vector systems, such as adenovirus, are currently the most effective means of gene delivery to the liver, their use presents many concerns. These include immune and inflammatory reactions to the viral vector and possible adverse interactions between the recombinant virus and the pre-existing viral infection. Non-viral gene delivery systems would be a preferred treatment modality. The efficiency of current non-viral systems is not adequate for systemically administered liver gene therapy. However, recent use of membrane permeabilisation techniques has shown that high efficiency non-viral gene transfer agents are possible. The future coupling of these improved delivery systems with gene- or nucleic acid-based therapeutics currently in development holds out great promise for new generations of antihepatitis therapies.

Tamarin alpha-interferon is active in mouse liver upon intramuscular gene delivery

BACKGROUND

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is responsible for a severe and widespread form of hepatitis for which a durable and effective therapy has not yet been established. The only approved therapy against hepatitis C, alpha-interferon protein intramuscular administration, presents numerous drawbacks that might be overcome by adopting a gene therapy approach. HCV exclusively infects humans and chimpanzees, hence an acceptable animal model for hepatitis C pharmacological studies is not available. Recently, tamarins infected by GB virus B (GBV-B) have been proposed as a surrogate animal model for HCV infection. The aim of the present study was the production of tamarin interferon (tIFN) through delivery of tIFN-coding DNA to evaluate the feasibility of a gene therapy approach based on IFN electro-gene transfer (EGT) in future studies with primates.

METHODS

Production and biological activity of cloned tamarin interferon was monitored in cultured cells upon transfection and in mice upon muscle EGT of the corresponding plasmid DNA, respectively.

RESULTS

A tamarin gene encoding a protein homologous to human interferon-alpha2 (hIFN-alpha2) has been cloned. The tamarin IFN-alpha (tIFN-alpha) protein shows antiviral activity in a cell-based assay. Upon EGT of the corresponding gene in mouse muscles, tIFN-alpha is detectable at high levels in serum for at least 4 months. Most important, activity of tIFN, measured as enhancement of mRNA levels of genes induced by type I IFNs, is also detectable in the liver of EGT-treated mice.

CONCLUSION

The present study demonstrates that the delivery of tIFN-alpha DNA via intramuscular injection yields a functional protein able to produce biological effects inside a remote target organ, the liver. This finding, besides the specific purpose of the present study, is of general relevance with a view to establishing therapeutic protocols based on EGT.

An improved helper-dependent adenoviral vector allows persistent gene expression after intramuscular delivery and overcomes preexisting immunity to adenovirus

Helper-dependent adenoviral vectors deleted of all viral coding sequences have shown an excellent gene expression profile in a variety of animal models, as well as a reduced toxicity after systemic delivery. What is still unclear is whether long-term expression and therapeutic dosages of these vectors can be obtained also in the presence of a preexisting immunity to adenovirus, a condition found in a high proportion of the adult human population. In this study we performed intramuscular delivery of helper-dependent vectors carrying mouse erythropoietin as a marker transgene. We found that low doses of helper-dependent adenoviral vectors can direct long-lasting gene expression in the muscles of fully immunocompetent mice. The best performance-i.e., 100% of treated animals showing sustained expression after 4 months-was achieved with the latest generation helper-dependent backbones, which replicate and package at high efficiency during vector propagation. Moreover, efficient and prolonged transgene expression after intramuscular injection was observed with limited vector load also in animals previously immunized against the same adenovirus serotype. These data suggest that human gene therapy by intramuscular delivery of helper-dependent adenoviral vectors is feasible.

Regulated and prolonged expression of mIFN(alpha) in immunocompetent mice mediated by a helper-dependent adenovirus vector

A major goal in gene therapy is to develop efficient gene transfer protocols that allow tissue-specific, long-term and tightly regulated expression of the desired transgene. This objective is becoming more attainable through the co-evolution of gene transfer vectors and regulation systems. The ideal vector should efficiently transduce non-dividing cells with minimal toxicity, thus endowing the system with persistent transgene expression. The helper-dependent adenovirus vectors meet these requirements, as demonstrated in various studies in the literature. The most promising regulation system is the tet-on system, which has low basal transcriptional activity and high inducibility. To explore the regulated transgene expression in the context of a helper-dependent vector, we constructed the HD-TET-IFN vector, containing the mIFN(alpha) gene under the control of the tetracycline inducible transactivator rtTA2(s)-S2. Mice injected with HD-TET-IFN showed high levels of serum mIFN(alpha) only upon transcriptional activation. The transgene expression was reinducible to the same high level up to 3 months p.i., and the amount of expressed cytokine could be regulated by dosing doxycycline. Transcriptional activation of mIFN(alpha) induced by doxycycline resulted in prolonged survival and reduced liver damage in HD-TET-IFN-injected mice challenged with a lethal dose of coronavirus. Activation of antiviral genes mediated by doxycycline-dependent mIFN(alpha) expression was also observed at low HD-TET-IFN doses. The possibility of controlling gene expression by the combination of HD vectors and the latest tet-on transactivator also holds promise for studying gene function in other animal models.