1
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Annoni A, Cantore A. LSpECifying transgene expression. Mol Ther Nucleic Acids 2024; 35:102144. [PMID: 38384446 PMCID: PMC10879793 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2024.102144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Annoni
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessio Cantore
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- "Vita-Salute San Raffaele" University, Milan, Italy
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2
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Nafchi NAM, Chilcott EM, Brown S, Fuller HR, Bowerman M, Yáñez-Muñoz RJ. Enhanced expression of the human Survival motor neuron 1 gene from a codon-optimised cDNA transgene in vitro and in vivo. Gene Ther 2023; 30:812-825. [PMID: 37322133 DOI: 10.1038/s41434-023-00406-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a neuromuscular disease particularly characterised by degeneration of ventral motor neurons. Survival motor neuron (SMN) 1 gene mutations cause SMA, and gene addition strategies to replace the faulty SMN1 copy are a therapeutic option. We have developed a novel, codon-optimised hSMN1 transgene and produced integration-proficient and integration-deficient lentiviral vectors with cytomegalovirus (CMV), human synapsin (hSYN) or human phosphoglycerate kinase (hPGK) promoters to determine the optimal expression cassette configuration. Integrating, CMV-driven and codon-optimised hSMN1 lentiviral vectors resulted in the highest production of functional SMN protein in vitro. Integration-deficient lentiviral vectors also led to significant expression of the optimised transgene and are expected to be safer than integrating vectors. Lentiviral delivery in culture led to activation of the DNA damage response, in particular elevating levels of phosphorylated ataxia telangiectasia mutated (pATM) and γH2AX, but the optimised hSMN1 transgene showed some protective effects. Neonatal delivery of adeno-associated viral vector (AAV9) vector encoding the optimised transgene to the Smn2B/- mouse model of SMA resulted in a significant increase of SMN protein levels in liver and spinal cord. This work shows the potential of a novel codon-optimised hSMN1 transgene as a therapeutic strategy for SMA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neda A M Nafchi
- AGCTlab.org, Centre of Gene and Cell Therapy, Centre for Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Ellie M Chilcott
- AGCTlab.org, Centre of Gene and Cell Therapy, Centre for Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Sharon Brown
- School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Keele University, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK
- Wolfson Centre for Inherited Neuromuscular Disease, TORCH Building, RJAH Orthopaedic Hospital, Oswestry, SY10 7AG, UK
| | - Heidi R Fuller
- School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Keele University, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK
- Wolfson Centre for Inherited Neuromuscular Disease, TORCH Building, RJAH Orthopaedic Hospital, Oswestry, SY10 7AG, UK
| | - Melissa Bowerman
- Wolfson Centre for Inherited Neuromuscular Disease, TORCH Building, RJAH Orthopaedic Hospital, Oswestry, SY10 7AG, UK
- School of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK
| | - Rafael J Yáñez-Muñoz
- AGCTlab.org, Centre of Gene and Cell Therapy, Centre for Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, TW20 0EX, UK.
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3
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Wolff JH, Mikkelsen JG. Delivering genes with human immunodeficiency virus-derived vehicles: still state-of-the-art after 25 years. J Biomed Sci 2022; 29:79. [PMID: 36209077 PMCID: PMC9548131 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-022-00865-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Viruses are naturally endowed with the capacity to transfer genetic material between cells. Following early skepticism, engineered viruses have been used to transfer genetic information into thousands of patients, and genetic therapies are currently attracting large investments. Despite challenges and severe adverse effects along the way, optimized technologies and improved manufacturing processes are driving gene therapy toward clinical translation. Fueled by the outbreak of AIDS in the 1980s and the accompanying focus on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), lentiviral vectors derived from HIV have grown to become one of the most successful and widely used vector technologies. In 2022, this vector technology has been around for more than 25 years. Here, we celebrate the anniversary by portraying the vector system and its intriguing properties. We dive into the technology itself and recapitulate the use of lentiviral vectors for ex vivo gene transfer to hematopoietic stem cells and for production of CAR T-cells. Furthermore, we describe the adaptation of lentiviral vectors for in vivo gene delivery and cover the important contribution of lentiviral vectors to basic molecular research including their role as carriers of CRISPR genome editing technologies. Last, we dwell on the emerging capacity of lentiviral particles to package and transfer foreign proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Holst Wolff
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Høegh-Guldbergs Gade 10, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Jacob Giehm Mikkelsen
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Høegh-Guldbergs Gade 10, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.
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4
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Ghasemzad M, Hashemi M, Lavasani ZM, Hossein-khannazer N, Bakhshandeh H, Gramignoli R, Keshavarz Alikhani H, Najimi M, Nikeghbalian S, Vosough M. Novel Gene-Correction-Based Therapeutic Modalities for Monogenic Liver Disorders. Bioengineering (Basel) 2022; 9:392. [PMID: 36004917 PMCID: PMC9404740 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering9080392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The majority of monogenic liver diseases are autosomal recessive disorders, with few being sex-related or co-dominant. Although orthotopic liver transplantation (LT) is currently the sole therapeutic option for end-stage patients, such an invasive surgical approach is severely restricted by the lack of donors and post-transplant complications, mainly associated with life-long immunosuppressive regimens. Therefore, the last decade has witnessed efforts for innovative cellular or gene-based therapeutic strategies. Gene therapy is a promising approach for treatment of many hereditary disorders, such as monogenic inborn errors. The liver is an organ characterized by unique features, making it an attractive target for in vivo and ex vivo gene transfer. The current genetic approaches for hereditary liver diseases are mediated by viral or non-viral vectors, with promising results generated by gene-editing tools, such as CRISPR-Cas9 technology. Despite massive progress in experimental gene-correction technologies, limitations in validated approaches for monogenic liver disorders have encouraged researchers to refine promising gene therapy protocols. Herein, we highlighted the most common monogenetic liver disorders, followed by proposed genetic engineering approaches, offered as promising therapeutic modalities.
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5
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Freitas MVD, Frâncio L, Haleva L, Matte UDS. Protection is not always a good thing: The immune system's impact on gene therapy. Genet Mol Biol 2022; 45:e20220046. [PMID: 35852088 PMCID: PMC9295005 DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2022-0046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
There are many clinical trials underway for the development of gene therapies, and some have resulted in gene therapy products being commercially approved already. Significant progress was made to develop safer and more effective strategies to deliver and regulate genetic products. An unsolved aspect is the immune system, which can affect the efficiency of gene therapy in different ways. Here we present an overview of approved gene therapy products and the immune response elicited by gene delivery systems. These include responses against the vector or its content after delivery and against the product of the corrected gene. Strategies to overcome the hurdles include hiding the vector or/and the transgene product from the immune system and hiding the immune system from the vector/transgene product. Combining different strategies, such as patient screening and intelligent vector design, gene therapy is set to make a difference in the life of patients with severe genetic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martiela Vaz de Freitas
- Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Centro de Pesquisa Experimental, Laboratório Células Tecidos e Genes, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Núcleo de Bioinformática Centro de Pesquisa Experimental, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Lariane Frâncio
- Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Centro de Pesquisa Experimental, Laboratório Células Tecidos e Genes, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Laura Haleva
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Instituto de Biociências, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Ursula da Silveira Matte
- Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Centro de Pesquisa Experimental, Laboratório Células Tecidos e Genes, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Núcleo de Bioinformática Centro de Pesquisa Experimental, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Departamento de Genética, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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6
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Barbon S, Stocco E, Rajendran S, Zardo L, Macchi V, Grandi C, Tagariello G, Porzionato A, Radossi P, De Caro R, Parnigotto PP. In Vitro Conditioning of Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells by the Endothelial Microenvironment: Modeling Cell Responsiveness towards Non-Genetic Correction of Haemophilia A. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23137282. [PMID: 35806285 PMCID: PMC9266329 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23137282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, the use of adult multipotent stem cells has paved the way for the identification of new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of monogenic diseases such as Haemophilia A. Being already studied for regenerative purposes, adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (Ad-MSCs) are still poorly considered for Haemophilia A cell therapy and their capacity to produce coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) after proper stimulation and without resorting to gene transfection. In this work, Ad-MSCs were in vitro conditioned towards the endothelial lineage, considered to be responsible for coagulation factor production. The cells were cultured in an inductive medium enriched with endothelial growth factors for up to 21 days. In addition to significantly responding to the chemotactic endothelial stimuli, the cell populations started to form capillary-like structures and up-regulated the expression of specific endothelial markers (CD34, PDGFRα, VEGFR2, VE-cadherin, CD31, and vWF). A dot blot protein study detected the presence of FVIII in culture media collected from both unstimulated and stimulated Ad-MSCs. Remarkably, the activated partial thromboplastin time test demonstrated that the clot formation was accelerated, and FVIII activity was enhanced when FVIII deficient plasma was mixed with culture media from the untreated/stimulated Ad-MSCs. Overall, the collected evidence supported a possible Ad-MSC contribution to HA correction via specific stimulation by the endothelial microenvironment and without any need for gene transfection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Barbon
- Section of Human Anatomy, Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, 35121 Padova, Italy; (S.B.); (E.S.); (V.M.); (A.P.); (R.D.C.)
- Foundation for Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Tissue Engineering and Signaling—TES, Onlus, 35030 Padova, Italy; (C.G.); (P.P.P.)
| | - Elena Stocco
- Section of Human Anatomy, Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, 35121 Padova, Italy; (S.B.); (E.S.); (V.M.); (A.P.); (R.D.C.)
- Foundation for Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Tissue Engineering and Signaling—TES, Onlus, 35030 Padova, Italy; (C.G.); (P.P.P.)
| | - Senthilkumar Rajendran
- Department of Surgery Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, 35124 Padova, Italy;
| | - Lorena Zardo
- Haematology and Haemophilia Centre, Castelfranco Veneto Hospital, 31033 Castelfranco Veneto, Italy; (L.Z.); (G.T.)
| | - Veronica Macchi
- Section of Human Anatomy, Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, 35121 Padova, Italy; (S.B.); (E.S.); (V.M.); (A.P.); (R.D.C.)
| | - Claudio Grandi
- Foundation for Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Tissue Engineering and Signaling—TES, Onlus, 35030 Padova, Italy; (C.G.); (P.P.P.)
| | - Giuseppe Tagariello
- Haematology and Haemophilia Centre, Castelfranco Veneto Hospital, 31033 Castelfranco Veneto, Italy; (L.Z.); (G.T.)
| | - Andrea Porzionato
- Section of Human Anatomy, Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, 35121 Padova, Italy; (S.B.); (E.S.); (V.M.); (A.P.); (R.D.C.)
- Foundation for Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Tissue Engineering and Signaling—TES, Onlus, 35030 Padova, Italy; (C.G.); (P.P.P.)
| | - Paolo Radossi
- Haematology and Haemophilia Centre, Castelfranco Veneto Hospital, 31033 Castelfranco Veneto, Italy; (L.Z.); (G.T.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Raffaele De Caro
- Section of Human Anatomy, Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, 35121 Padova, Italy; (S.B.); (E.S.); (V.M.); (A.P.); (R.D.C.)
- Foundation for Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Tissue Engineering and Signaling—TES, Onlus, 35030 Padova, Italy; (C.G.); (P.P.P.)
| | - Pier Paolo Parnigotto
- Foundation for Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Tissue Engineering and Signaling—TES, Onlus, 35030 Padova, Italy; (C.G.); (P.P.P.)
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7
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Russo F, Ruggiero E, Curto R, Passeri L, Sanvito F, Bortolomai I, Villa A, Gregori S, Annoni A. Editing T cell repertoire by thymic epithelial cell-directed gene transfer abrogates risk of type 1 diabetes development. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2022; 25:508-519. [PMID: 35615710 PMCID: PMC9121074 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2022.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Insulin is the primary autoantigen (Ag) targeted by T cells in type 1 diabetes (T1D). Although biomarkers precisely identifying subjects at high risk of T1D are available, successful prophylaxis is still an unmet need. Leaky central tolerance to insulin may be partially ascribed to the instability of the MHC-InsB9-23 complex, which lowers TCR avidity, thus resulting in defective negative selection of autoreactive clones and inadequate insulin-specific T regulatory cell (Treg) induction. We developed a lentiviral vector (LV)-based strategy to engineer thymic epithelial cells (TECs) to correct diabetogenic T cell repertoire. Intrathymic (it) LV injection established stable transgene expression in EpCAM+ TECs, by virtue of transduction of TEC precursors. it-LV-driven presentation of the immunodominant portion of ovalbumin allowed persistent and complete negative selection of responsive T cells in OT-II chimeric mice. We successfully applied this strategy to correct the diabetogenic repertoire of young non-obese diabetic mice, imposing the presentation by TECs of the stronger agonist InsulinB9-23R22E and partially depleting the existing T cell compartment. We further circumscribed LV-driven presentation of InsulinB9-23R22E by micro-RNA regulation to CD45− TECs without loss of efficacy in protection from diabetes, associated with expanded insulin-specific Tregs. Overall, our gene transfer-based prophylaxis fine-tuned the central tolerance processes of negative selection and Treg induction, correcting an autoimmune prone T cell repertoire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Russo
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Eliana Ruggiero
- Experimental Hematology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Rosalia Curto
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Passeri
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Sanvito
- Pathology Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Ileana Bortolomai
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Villa
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy.,Milan Unit, Istituto di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica (IRGB), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), 20090 Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Gregori
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Annoni
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy
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Milani M, Canepari C, Liu T, Biffi M, Russo F, Plati T, Curto R, Patarroyo-White S, Drager D, Visigalli I, Brombin C, Albertini P, Follenzi A, Ayuso E, Mueller C, Annoni A, Naldini L, Cantore A. Liver-directed lentiviral gene therapy corrects hemophilia A mice and achieves normal-range factor VIII activity in non-human primates. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2454. [PMID: 35508619 PMCID: PMC9068791 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30102-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Liver gene therapy with adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors delivering clotting factor transgenes into hepatocytes has shown multiyear therapeutic benefit in adults with hemophilia. However, the mostly episomal nature of AAV vectors challenges their application to young pediatric patients. We developed lentiviral vectors, which integrate in the host cell genome, that achieve efficient liver gene transfer in mice, dogs and non-human primates, by intravenous delivery. Here we first compare engineered coagulation factor VIII transgenes and show that codon-usage optimization improved expression 10-20-fold in hemophilia A mice and that inclusion of an unstructured XTEN peptide, known to increase the half-life of the payload protein, provided an additional >10-fold increase in overall factor VIII output in mice and non-human primates. Stable nearly life-long normal and above-normal factor VIII activity was achieved in hemophilia A mouse models. Overall, we show long-term factor VIII activity and restoration of hemostasis, by lentiviral gene therapy to hemophilia A mice and normal-range factor VIII activity in non-human primate, paving the way for potential clinical application. “Lentiviral gene therapy to the liver establishes stable long-term normal to supra-normal coagulation factor VIII activity in mouse models of hemophilia A and in non-human primates, representing a potential new treatment option for people with hemophilia A.”.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Milani
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Cesare Canepari
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.,Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Mauro Biffi
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabio Russo
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Tiziana Plati
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Rosalia Curto
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Ilaria Visigalli
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Brombin
- University Center for Statistics in the Biomedical Sciences, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Albertini
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonia Follenzi
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
| | - Eduard Ayuso
- INSERM UMR1089, University of Nantes, CHU de Nantes, 44093, Nantes, France
| | | | - Andrea Annoni
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Luigi Naldini
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy. .,Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.
| | - Alessio Cantore
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy. .,Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.
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9
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Kaltenbacher T, Löprich J, Maresch R, Weber J, Müller S, Oellinger R, Groß N, Griger J, de Andrade Krätzig N, Avramopoulos P, Ramanujam D, Brummer S, Widholz SA, Bärthel S, Falcomatà C, Pfaus A, Alnatsha A, Mayerle J, Schmidt-Supprian M, Reichert M, Schneider G, Ehmer U, Braun CJ, Saur D, Engelhardt S, Rad R. CRISPR somatic genome engineering and cancer modeling in the mouse pancreas and liver. Nat Protoc 2022; 17:1142-1188. [PMID: 35288718 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-021-00677-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) transformed the study of organismal disease phenotypes but are limited by their lengthy generation in embryonic stem cells. Here, we describe methods for rapid and scalable genome engineering in somatic cells of the liver and pancreas through delivery of CRISPR components into living mice. We introduce the spectrum of genetic tools, delineate viral and nonviral CRISPR delivery strategies and describe a series of applications, ranging from gene editing and cancer modeling to chromosome engineering or CRISPR multiplexing and its spatio-temporal control. Beyond experimental design and execution, the protocol describes quantification of genetic and functional editing outcomes, including sequencing approaches, data analysis and interpretation. Compared to traditional knockout mice, somatic GEMMs face an increased risk for mouse-to-mouse variability because of the higher experimental demands of the procedures. The robust protocols described here will help unleash the full potential of somatic genome manipulation. Depending on the delivery method and envisaged application, the protocol takes 3-5 weeks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thorsten Kaltenbacher
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Jessica Löprich
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Roman Maresch
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Julia Weber
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Sebastian Müller
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Rupert Oellinger
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Nina Groß
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Joscha Griger
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Niklas de Andrade Krätzig
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Petros Avramopoulos
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
| | - Deepak Ramanujam
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
| | - Sabine Brummer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Sebastian A Widholz
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefanie Bärthel
- Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Institute of Experimental Cancer Therapy, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Chiara Falcomatà
- Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Institute of Experimental Cancer Therapy, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Anja Pfaus
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Ahmed Alnatsha
- Department of Medicine II, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Julia Mayerle
- Department of Medicine II, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marc Schmidt-Supprian
- Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Institute of Experimental Hematology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Maximilian Reichert
- Department of Medicine II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Günter Schneider
- Department of Medicine II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Ursula Ehmer
- Department of Medicine II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Christian J Braun
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Department of Pediatrics, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dieter Saur
- Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Institute of Experimental Cancer Therapy, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Medicine II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Engelhardt
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
| | - Roland Rad
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany. .,Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany. .,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany. .,Department of Medicine II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
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10
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Papasavva PL, Patsali P, Loucari CC, Kurita R, Nakamura Y, Kleanthous M, Lederer CW. CRISPR Editing Enables Consequential Tag-Activated MicroRNA-Mediated Endogene Deactivation. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:1082. [PMID: 35163006 PMCID: PMC8834719 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Revised: 01/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular therapies and functional studies greatly benefit from spatial and temporal precision of genetic intervention. We therefore conceived and explored tag-activated microRNA (miRNA)-mediated endogene deactivation (TAMED) as a research tool and potential lineage-specific therapy. For proof of principle, we aimed to deactivate γ-globin repressor BCL11A in erythroid cells by tagging the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of BCL11A with miRNA recognition sites (MRSs) for the abundant erythromiR miR-451a. To this end, we employed nucleofection of CRISPR/Cas9 ribonucleoprotein (RNP) particles alongside double- or single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotides for, respectively, non-homologous-end-joining (NHEJ)- or homology-directed-repair (HDR)-mediated MRS insertion. NHEJ-based tagging was imprecise and inefficient (≤6%) and uniformly produced knock-in- and indel-containing MRS tags, whereas HDR-based tagging was more efficient (≤18%), but toxic for longer donors encoding concatenated and thus potentially more efficient MRS tags. Isolation of clones for robust HEK293T cells tagged with a homozygous quadruple MRS resulted in 25% spontaneous reduction in BCL11A and up to 36% reduction after transfection with an miR-451a mimic. Isolation of clones for human umbilical cord blood-derived erythroid progenitor-2 (HUDEP-2) cells tagged with single or double MRS allowed detection of albeit weak γ-globin induction. Our study demonstrates suitability of TAMED for physiologically relevant modulation of gene expression and its unsuitability for therapeutic application in its current form.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panayiota L. Papasavva
- Department of Molecular Genetics Thalassemia, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus; (P.L.P.); (P.P.); (C.C.L.); (M.K.)
- Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus
| | - Petros Patsali
- Department of Molecular Genetics Thalassemia, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus; (P.L.P.); (P.P.); (C.C.L.); (M.K.)
- Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus
| | - Constantinos C. Loucari
- Department of Molecular Genetics Thalassemia, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus; (P.L.P.); (P.P.); (C.C.L.); (M.K.)
- Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus
| | - Ryo Kurita
- Research and Development Department, Central Blood Institute, Blood Service Headquarters, Japanese Red Cross Society, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8521, Japan;
| | - Yukio Nakamura
- Cell Engineering Division, RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba 305-0074, Japan;
| | - Marina Kleanthous
- Department of Molecular Genetics Thalassemia, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus; (P.L.P.); (P.P.); (C.C.L.); (M.K.)
- Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus
| | - Carsten W. Lederer
- Department of Molecular Genetics Thalassemia, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus; (P.L.P.); (P.P.); (C.C.L.); (M.K.)
- Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, Nicosia 2371, Cyprus
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11
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Rapti K, Grimm D. Adeno-Associated Viruses (AAV) and Host Immunity - A Race Between the Hare and the Hedgehog. Front Immunol 2021; 12:753467. [PMID: 34777364 PMCID: PMC8586419 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.753467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Adeno-associated viruses (AAV) have emerged as the lead vector in clinical trials and form the basis for several approved gene therapies for human diseases, mainly owing to their ability to sustain robust and long-term in vivo transgene expression, their amenability to genetic engineering of cargo and capsid, as well as their moderate toxicity and immunogenicity. Still, recent reports of fatalities in a clinical trial for a neuromuscular disease, although linked to an exceptionally high vector dose, have raised new caution about the safety of recombinant AAVs. Moreover, concerns linger about the presence of pre-existing anti-AAV antibodies in the human population, which precludes a significant percentage of patients from receiving, and benefitting from, AAV gene therapies. These concerns are exacerbated by observations of cellular immune responses and other adverse events, including detrimental off-target transgene expression in dorsal root ganglia. Here, we provide an update on our knowledge of the immunological and molecular race between AAV (the “hedgehog”) and its human host (the “hare”), together with a compendium of state-of-the-art technologies which provide an advantage to AAV and which, thus, promise safer and more broadly applicable AAV gene therapies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kleopatra Rapti
- Department of Infectious Diseases/Virology, Medical Faculty, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,BioQuant Center, BQ0030, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dirk Grimm
- Department of Infectious Diseases/Virology, Medical Faculty, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,BioQuant Center, BQ0030, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (DZIF) and German Center for Cardiovascular Research Deutsches Zentrum für Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen (DZHK), Partner Site Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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12
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Zhao M, Sun YD, Yin M, Zhao JJ, Li SA, Li G, Zhang F, Xu J, Meng FY, Zhang B, Sun XY, Zhang JP, Cheng T, Zhang XB. Modulation of Immune Reaction in Hydrodynamic Gene Therapy for Hemophilia A. Hum Gene Ther 2021; 33:404-420. [PMID: 34555961 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2021.145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hemophilia A (HA) is a monogenic disease characterized by plasma clotting factor 8 (F8) deficiency due to F8 mutation. We have been attempting to cure HA permanently using a CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing strategy. Here, we induced targeted integration of BDDF8 (B-domain-deleted F8) gene into the albumin locus of HA mice by hydrodynamic tail vein injection of editing plasmid vectors. One week after treatment, a high F8 activity ranging from 70% to 280% of normal serum levels was observed in all treated HA mice but dropped to background levels 3-5 weeks later. We found that the humoral immune reaction targeting F8 is the predominant cause of the decreased F8 activity. We hypothesized that hydrodynamic injection-induced liver damage triggered the release of large quantities of inflammatory cytokines. However, co-injection of plasmids expressing a dozen immunomodulatory factors failed to curtail the immune reaction and stabilize F8 activity. The spCas9 plasmid carrying a miR-142-3p target sequence alleviated the cellular immune response but was unable to deliver therapeutic efficacy. Strikingly, immunosuppressant cyclo-phosphamide virtually abolished the immune response, leading to a year-long stable F8 level. Our findings should have important implications in developing therapies in mouse models using the hydrodynamic gene delivery approach, highlighting the ne-cessity of modulating the innate immune response triggered by liver damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Zhao
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, 70585, Tianjin, Tianjin, China;
| | - Yi-Dan Sun
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, 70585, Tianjin, Tianjin, China;
| | - Mengdi Yin
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, 70585, Tianjin, Tianjin, China;
| | - Juan-Juan Zhao
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, 70585, Tianjin, Tianjin, China.,Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, 70585, Tianjin, Tianjin, China;
| | - Si-Ang Li
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, 70585, Tianjin, Tianjin, China;
| | - Guohua Li
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, 70585, Tianjin, Tianjin, China;
| | - Feng Zhang
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, 70585, Tianjin, Tianjin, China;
| | - Jing Xu
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, 70585, Tianjin, Tianjin, China;
| | - Fei-Ying Meng
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, 70585, Tianjin, Tianjin, China;
| | - Beldon Zhang
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, 70585, Tianjin, Tianjin, China;
| | - Xin-Yu Sun
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, 70585, Tianjin, Tianjin, China;
| | - Jian-Ping Zhang
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, 70585, Tianjin, Tianjin, China;
| | - Tao Cheng
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, 70585, Tianjin, Tianjin, China;
| | - Xiao-Bing Zhang
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, 70585, Tianjin, Tianjin, China;
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13
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Poletti V, Mavilio F. Designing Lentiviral Vectors for Gene Therapy of Genetic Diseases. Viruses 2021; 13:1526. [PMID: 34452394 DOI: 10.3390/v13081526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Lentiviral vectors are the most frequently used tool to stably transfer and express genes in the context of gene therapy for monogenic diseases. The vast majority of clinical applications involves an ex vivo modality whereby lentiviral vectors are used to transduce autologous somatic cells, obtained from patients and re-delivered to patients after transduction. Examples are hematopoietic stem cells used in gene therapy for hematological or neurometabolic diseases or T cells for immunotherapy of cancer. We review the design and use of lentiviral vectors in gene therapy of monogenic diseases, with a focus on controlling gene expression by transcriptional or post-transcriptional mechanisms in the context of vectors that have already entered a clinical development phase.
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14
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Min X, Liu DL, Xiong XD. Circular RNAs as Competing Endogenous RNAs in Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases: Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Implications. Front Cardiovasc Med 2021; 8:682357. [PMID: 34307497 PMCID: PMC8292644 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2021.682357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) represent a novel class of widespread and diverse endogenous RNA molecules. This unusual class of RNA species is generated by a back-splicing event of exons or introns, resulting in a covalently closed circRNA molecule. Accumulating evidence indicates that circRNA plays an important role in the biological functions of a network of competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA). CircRNAs can competitively bind to miRNAs and abolish the suppressive effect of miRNAs on target RNAs, thus regulating gene expression at the posttranscriptional level. The role of circRNAs as ceRNAs in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (CVDs) has been recently reported and highlighted. Understanding the underlying molecular mechanism could aid the discovery of therapeutic targets or strategies against CVDs. Here, we review the progress in studying the role of circRNAs as ceRNAs in CVDs, with emphasis on the molecular mechanism, and discuss future directions and possible clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Min
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics, Institute of Aging Research, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China
| | - Dong-Liang Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics, Institute of Aging Research, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China
| | - Xing-Dong Xiong
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Diagnostics, Institute of Aging Research, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China.,Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
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15
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16
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Abstract
UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) are the main phase II drug-metabolizing enzymes mediating the most extensive glucuronidation-binding reaction in the human body. The UGT1A family is involved in more than half of glucuronidation reactions. However, significant differences exist in the distribution of UGT1As in vivo and the expression of UGT1As among individuals, and these differences are related to the occurrence of disease and differences in metabolism. In addition to genetic polymorphisms, there is now interest in the contribution of epigenetics and noncoding RNAs (especially miRNAs) to this differential change. Epigenetics regulates UGT1As pretranscriptionally through DNA methylation and histone modification, and miRNAs are considered the key mechanism of posttranscriptional regulation of UGT1As. Both epigenetic inheritance and miRNAs are involved in the differences in sex expression and in vivo distribution of UGT1As. Moreover, epigenetic changes early in life have been shown to affect gene expression throughout life. Here, we review and summarize the current regulatory role of epigenetics in the UGT1A family and discuss the relationship among epigenetics and UGT1A-related diseases and treatment, with references for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cui-Lan Meng
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, No. 6 Shuangyong Road, Nanning City, Guangxi, China
| | - Wei Zhao
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, No. 6 Shuangyong Road, Nanning City, Guangxi, China
| | - Dan-Ni Zhong
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, No. 6 Shuangyong Road, Nanning City, Guangxi, China.
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17
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Muhuri M, Zhan W, Maeda Y, Li J, Lotun A, Chen J, Sylvia K, Dasgupta I, Arjomandnejad M, Nixon T, Keeler AM, Manokaran S, He R, Su Q, Tai PWL, Gao G. Novel Combinatorial MicroRNA-Binding Sites in AAV Vectors Synergistically Diminish Antigen Presentation and Transgene Immunity for Efficient and Stable Transduction. Front Immunol 2021; 12:674242. [PMID: 33995418 PMCID: PMC8113644 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.674242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) platforms hold promise for in vivo gene therapy but are undermined by the undesirable transduction of antigen presenting cells (APCs), which in turn can trigger host immunity towards rAAV-expressed transgene products. In light of recent adverse events in patients receiving high systemic AAV vector doses that were speculated to be related to host immune responses, development of strategies to mute innate and adaptive immunity is imperative. The use of miRNA binding sites (miR-BSs) to confer endogenous miRNA-mediated regulation to detarget transgene expression from APCs has shown promise for reducing transgene immunity. Studies have shown that designing miR-142BSs into rAAV1 vectors were able to repress costimulatory signals in dendritic cells (DCs), blunt the cytotoxic T cell response, and attenuate clearance of transduced muscle cells in mice to allow sustained transgene expression in myofibers with negligible anti-transgene IgG production. In this study, we screened individual and combinatorial miR-BS designs against 26 miRNAs that are abundantly expressed in APCs, but not in skeletal muscle. The highly immunogenic ovalbumin (OVA) transgene was used as a proxy for foreign antigens. In vitro screening in myoblasts, mouse DCs, and macrophages revealed that the combination of miR-142BS and miR-652-5pBS strongly mutes transgene expression in APCs but maintains high myoblast and myocyte expression. Importantly, rAAV1 vectors carrying this novel miR-142/652-5pBS cassette achieve higher transgene levels following intramuscular injections in mice than previous detargeting designs. The cassette strongly inhibits cytotoxic CTL activation and suppresses the Th17 response in vivo. Our approach, thus, advances the efficiency of miRNA-mediated detargeting to achieve synergistic reduction of transgene-specific immune responses and the development of safe and efficient delivery vehicles for gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manish Muhuri
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- VIDE Program, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Wei Zhan
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- VIDE Program, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Yukiko Maeda
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- VIDE Program, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Jia Li
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Anoushka Lotun
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Jennifer Chen
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Katelyn Sylvia
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Ishani Dasgupta
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Motahareh Arjomandnejad
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Thomas Nixon
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Allison M. Keeler
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Sangeetha Manokaran
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Ran He
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Qin Su
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Phillip W. L. Tai
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- VIDE Program, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Guangping Gao
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
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18
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Lee S, Kim YY, Ahn HJ. Systemic delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 to hepatic tumors for cancer treatment using altered tropism of lentiviral vector. Biomaterials 2021; 272:120793. [PMID: 33836291 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2021.120793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Therapeutic application of CRISPR/Cas9 nucleases remains a challenge due to the lack of efficient in vivo delivery carriers. Here, we examine the ability of lentiviral vectors pseudotyped with hepatitis C virus (HCV)/E1E2 envelope glycoproteins to systemically deliver CRISPR/Cas9 to hepatic tumors in vivo. We demonstrated that systemic administration of E1E2-pseudotyped lentiviral vectors can selectively deliver Cas9 and sgRNA specific for kinesin spindle protein (KSP) to Huh7 tumors in the orthotopic Huh7 mice due to the specific interactions between E1E2 and their cellular receptors. This specific delivery leads to effective KSP gene disruption, potently inhibiting tumor growth. Furthermore, we demonstrated that E1E2-pseudotyping is more suitable for systemic delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 in cancer therapy than vesicular stomatitis virus-pseudotyping, the most widely used pseudotyping, because of stability in human serum, little transduction to DCs, low innate immune response, and cell-specific targeting ability. This study suggests that E1E2-pseudotyped lentivirus carrying CRISPR/Cas9 can substantially benefit the treatment of Huh7 tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungjin Lee
- Department of Viral Immunology, Scripps Korea Antibody Institute, Chuncheon, South Korea
| | - Young-Youb Kim
- Center for Theragnosis, Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hyung Jun Ahn
- Center for Theragnosis, Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, South Korea.
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19
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Damo M, Wilson DS, Watkins EA, Hubbell JA. Soluble N-Acetylgalactosamine-Modified Antigens Enhance Hepatocyte-Dependent Antigen Cross-Presentation and Result in Antigen-Specific CD8 + T Cell Tolerance Development. Front Immunol 2021; 12:555095. [PMID: 33746941 PMCID: PMC7965950 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.555095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocytes compose up to 80% of the total liver and have been indicated as important players in the induction of immunologic tolerance in this organ. We show that hepatocytes possess the molecular machinery required for the cross-presentation of extracellular antigens. Using a derivative of the model antigen ovalbumin (OVA) covalently modified with a polymer containing multiple N-acetylgalactosamine residues (pGal-OVA) that enhance extracellular antigen uptake by mimicking the glycome of apoptotic debris, we show efficient hepatocyte-dependent induction of cross-tolerance of both adoptively transferred OT-I cells and endogenous OVA-specific CD8+ T lymphocytes, for example inducing tolerance to OVA-expressing skin transplants. Our study confirms that hepatocytes are capable of inducing peripheral tolerogenesis and provides proof of concept that they may be a valuable candidate for in vivo targeted tolerogenic treatments.
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MESH Headings
- ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 2/genetics
- ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 2/immunology
- ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 2/metabolism
- Acetylgalactosamine/immunology
- Adoptive Transfer/methods
- Animals
- Antigen Presentation/immunology
- Antigens/immunology
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- Cells, Cultured
- Cross-Priming/immunology
- Hepatocytes/cytology
- Hepatocytes/immunology
- Immune Tolerance/immunology
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Knockout
- Mice, Transgenic
- Ovalbumin/immunology
- Skin Transplantation/methods
- Solubility
- Vesicular Transport Proteins/immunology
- Vesicular Transport Proteins/metabolism
- Mice
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Damo
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
- Institute for Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences and School of Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - D. Scott Wilson
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
- Institute for Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences and School of Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Elyse A. Watkins
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Jeffrey A. Hubbell
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
- Institute for Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences and School of Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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20
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Croteau SE, Wang M, Wheeler AP. 2021 clinical trials update: Innovations in hemophilia therapy. Am J Hematol 2021; 96:128-144. [PMID: 33064330 DOI: 10.1002/ajh.26018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Therapies engineered to prolong clotting factor protein circulation time, manipulate the balance of pro-coagulant and anti-coagulant proteins, or introduce new genetic material to enable endogenous factor protein production dominate the clinical trial landscape of hemophilia. The availability of clotting factor concentrates and the establishment of primary prophylaxis have dramatically improved health outcomes for hemophilia patients. But, the burden of hemostatic therapy remains significant, and many barriers to consistent longitudinal use of prophylaxis exist. Several types of emerging therapeutics including engineered factor concentrates, substitutive therapies, rebalancing therapies, and gene transfer/editing all aim to reduce the challenges of current hemophilia treatment. Emerging treatment options may reduce treatment frequency or need for intravenous administration. They may also introduce new challenges in laboratory assessment of hemostasis. These novel therapies must not introduce significant new health risks and continue to support similar or improved outcomes. The potential ramifications of rebalancing the coagulation cascade, particularly in a stress or inflammatory state, or introduction of new genetic material are not trivial. The focus of this review is to provide an overview of active and recently completed clinical trials as well as emerging preclinical data investigating new therapeutic possibilities for hemophilia patients and potentially other rare bleeding disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Wang
- University of Colorado Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center Aurora Colorado
| | - Allison P. Wheeler
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville Tennessee
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21
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Buscara L, Gross DA, Daniele N. Of rAAV and Men: From Genetic Neuromuscular Disorder Efficacy and Toxicity Preclinical Studies to Clinical Trials and Back. J Pers Med 2020; 10:E258. [PMID: 33260623 PMCID: PMC7768510 DOI: 10.3390/jpm10040258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuromuscular disorders are a large group of rare pathologies characterised by skeletal muscle atrophy and weakness, with the common involvement of respiratory and/or cardiac muscles. These diseases lead to life-long motor deficiencies and specific organ failures, and are, in their worst-case scenarios, life threatening. Amongst other causes, they can be genetically inherited through mutations in more than 500 different genes. In the last 20 years, specific pharmacological treatments have been approved for human usage. However, these "à-la-carte" therapies cover only a very small portion of the clinical needs and are often partially efficient in alleviating the symptoms of the disease, even less so in curing it. Recombinant adeno-associated virus vector-mediated gene transfer is a more general strategy that could be adapted for a large majority of these diseases and has proved very efficient in rescuing the symptoms in many neuropathological animal models. On this solid ground, several clinical trials are currently being conducted with the whole-body delivery of the therapeutic vectors. This review recapitulates the state-of-the-art tools for neuron and muscle-targeted gene therapy, and summarises the main findings of the spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and X-linked myotubular myopathy (XLMTM) trials. Despite promising efficacy results, serious adverse events of various severities were observed in these trials. Possible leads for second-generation products are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David-Alexandre Gross
- Genethon, 91000 Evry, France; (L.B.); (D.-A.G.)
- Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, Inserm, Genethon, Integrare Research Unit UMR_S951, 91000 Evry, France
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22
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Wang X, Fu RY, Li C, Chen CY, Firrman J, Konkle BA, Zhang J, Li L, Xiao W, Poncz M, Miao CH. Enhancing therapeutic efficacy of in vivo platelet-targeted gene therapy in hemophilia A mice. Blood Adv 2020; 4:5722-34. [PMID: 33216891 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2020002479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Our previous studies demonstrated that intraosseous (IO) infusion of lentiviral vectors (LVs) carrying a modified B domain-deleted factor VIII (FVIII) transgene driven by a megakaryocyte-specific promoter (GP1Bα promoter; G-F8/N6-LV) successfully transduced hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) to produce FVIII stored in the platelet α-granules. Platelet FVIII corrected the bleeding phenotype with limited efficacy in hemophilia A (HemA) mice with and without preexisting anti-FVIII inhibitors. The present study sought to further enhance the therapeutic efficacy of this treatment protocol by increasing both the efficiency of LV transduction and the functional activity of platelet FVIII. A combined drug regimen of dexamethasone and anti-CD8α monoclonal antibody enhanced the percentage of transduced bone marrow and HSCs over time. In G-F8/N6-LV-treated HemA mice, significant improvement in phenotypic correction was observed on day 84. To improve platelet FVIII functionality, genes encoding FVIII variant F8X10K12 with increased expression or F8N6K12RH with increased functional activity compared with F8/N6 were incorporated into LVs. Treatment with G-F8X10K12-LV in HemA mice produced a higher level of platelet FVIII but induced anti-FVIII inhibitors. After treatment with combined drugs and IO infusion of G-F8/N6K12RH-LV, HemA mice showed significant phenotypic correction without anti-FVIII inhibitor formation. These results indicate that new human FVIII variant F8/N6K12RH combined with immune suppression could significantly enhance the therapeutic efficacy of in vivo platelet-targeted gene therapy for murine HemA via IO delivery. This protocol provides a safe and effective treatment for hemophilia that may be translatable to and particularly beneficial for patients with preexisting inhibitory antibodies to FVIII.
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23
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Milani M, Annoni A, Moalli F, Liu T, Cesana D, Calabria A, Bartolaccini S, Biffi M, Russo F, Visigalli I, Raimondi A, Patarroyo-White S, Drager D, Cristofori P, Ayuso E, Montini E, Peters R, Iannacone M, Cantore A, Naldini L. Phagocytosis-shielded lentiviral vectors improve liver gene therapy in nonhuman primates. Sci Transl Med 2020; 11:11/493/eaav7325. [PMID: 31118293 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aav7325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Liver-directed gene therapy for the coagulation disorder hemophilia showed safe and effective results in clinical trials using adeno-associated viral vectors to replace a functional coagulation factor, although some unmet needs remain. Lentiviral vectors (LVs) may address some of these hurdles because of their potential for stable expression and the low prevalence of preexisting viral immunity in humans. However, systemic LV administration to hemophilic dogs was associated to mild acute toxicity and low efficacy at the administered doses. Here, exploiting intravital microscopy and LV surface engineering, we report a major role of the human phagocytosis inhibitor CD47, incorporated into LV cell membrane, in protecting LVs from uptake by professional phagocytes and innate immune sensing, thus favoring biodistribution to hepatocytes after systemic administration. By enforcing high CD47 surface content, we generated phagocytosis-shielded LVs which, upon intravenous administration to nonhuman primates, showed selective liver and spleen targeting and enhanced hepatocyte gene transfer compared to parental LV, reaching supraphysiological activity of human coagulation factor IX, the protein encoded by the transgene, without signs of toxicity or clonal expansion of transduced cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Milani
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy.,Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Annoni
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Daniela Cesana
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Calabria
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Bartolaccini
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Mauro Biffi
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Fabio Russo
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Ilaria Visigalli
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Patrizia Cristofori
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy.,GlaxoSmithKline R&D UK, Ware SG12 0DP, UK
| | - Eduard Ayuso
- INSERM UMR1089, University of Nantes, CHU de Nantes, 44093 Nantes, France
| | - Eugenio Montini
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Alessio Cantore
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy. .,Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Luigi Naldini
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy. .,Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
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24
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Buck TM, Wijnholds J. Recombinant Adeno-Associated Viral Vectors (rAAV)-Vector Elements in Ocular Gene Therapy Clinical Trials and Transgene Expression and Bioactivity Assays. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E4197. [PMID: 32545533 PMCID: PMC7352801 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21124197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Inherited retinal dystrophies and optic neuropathies cause chronic disabling loss of visual function. The development of recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors (rAAV) gene therapies in all disease fields have been promising, but the translation to the clinic has been slow. The safety and efficacy profiles of rAAV are linked to the dose of applied vectors. DNA changes in the rAAV gene cassette affect potency, the expression pattern (cell-specificity), and the production yield. Here, we present a library of rAAV vectors and elements that provide a workflow to design novel vectors. We first performed a meta-analysis on recombinant rAAV elements in clinical trials (2007-2020) for ocular gene therapies. We analyzed 33 unique rAAV gene cassettes used in 57 ocular clinical trials. The rAAV gene therapy vectors used six unique capsid variants, 16 different promoters, and six unique polyadenylation sequences. Further, we compiled a list of promoters, enhancers, and other sequences used in current rAAV gene cassettes in preclinical studies. Then, we give an update on pro-viral plasmid backbones used to produce the gene therapy vectors, inverted terminal repeats, production yield, and rAAV safety considerations. Finally, we assess rAAV transgene and bioactivity assays applied to cells or organoids in vitro, explants ex vivo, and clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thilo M. Buck
- Department of Ophthalmology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), 2333 ZC Leiden, The Netherlands;
| | - Jan Wijnholds
- Department of Ophthalmology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), 2333 ZC Leiden, The Netherlands;
- Netherlands Institute of Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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25
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Kraszewska I, Tomczyk M, Andrysiak K, Biniecka M, Geisler A, Fechner H, Zembala M, Stępniewski J, Dulak J, Jaźwa-Kusior A. Variability in Cardiac miRNA-122 Level Determines Therapeutic Potential of miRNA-Regulated AAV Vectors. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2020; 17:1190-1201. [PMID: 32518806 PMCID: PMC7270145 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2020.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Systemically delivered adeno-associated viral vector serotype 9 (AAV9) effectively transduces murine heart, but provides transgene expression also in liver and skeletal muscles. Improvement of the selectivity of transgene expression can be achieved through incorporation of target sites (TSs) for miRNA-122 and miRNA-206 into the 3′ untranslated region (3′ UTR) of the expression cassette. Here, we aimed to generate such miRNA-122- and miRNA-206-regulated AAV9 vector for a therapeutic, heart-specific overexpression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). We successfully validated the vector functionality in murine cell lines corresponding to tissues targeted by AAV9. Next, we evaluated biodistribution of transgene expression following systemic vector delivery to HO-1-deficient mice of mixed C57BL/6J × FVB genetic background. Although AAV genomes were present in the hearts of these animals, HO-1 protein expression was either absent or significantly impaired. We found that miRNA-122, earlier described as liver specific, was present also in the hearts of C57BL/6J × FVB mice. Various levels of miRNA-122 expression were observed in the hearts of other mouse strains, in heart tissues of patients with cardiomyopathy, and in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes in which we also confirmed such posttranscriptional regulation of transgene expression. Our data clearly indicate that therapeutic utilization of miRNA-based regulation strategy needs to consider inter-individual variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izabela Kraszewska
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Mateusz Tomczyk
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Kalina Andrysiak
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | | | - Anja Geisler
- Department of Applied Biochemistry, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, 13355 Berlin, Germany
| | - Henry Fechner
- Department of Applied Biochemistry, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, 13355 Berlin, Germany
| | - Michał Zembala
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Heart and Lung Transplantation and Mechanical Circulatory Support, Silesian Center for Heart Diseases, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
| | - Jacek Stępniewski
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Józef Dulak
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
- Kardio-Med Silesia, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Jaźwa-Kusior
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
- Corresponding author Agnieszka Jaźwa-Kusior, PhD, Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa Str. 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland.
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26
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Samelson-Jones BJ, Arruda VR. Translational Potential of Immune Tolerance Induction by AAV Liver-Directed Factor VIII Gene Therapy for Hemophilia A. Front Immunol 2020; 11:618. [PMID: 32425925 PMCID: PMC7212376 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Hemophilia A (HA) is an X-linked bleeding disorder due to deficiencies in coagulation factor VIII (FVIII). The major complication of current protein-based therapies is the development of neutralizing anti-FVIII antibodies, termed inhibitors, that block the hemostatic effect of therapeutic FVIII. Inhibitors develop in about 20-30% of people with severe HA, but the risk is dependent on the interaction between environmental and genetic factors, including the underlying F8 gene mutation. Recently, multiple clinical trials evaluating adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector liver-directed gene therapy for HA have reported promising results of therapeutically relevant to curative FVIII levels. The inclusion criteria for most trials prevented enrollment of subjects with a history of inhibitors. However, preclinical data from small and large animal models of HA with inhibitors suggests that liver-directed gene therapy can in fact eradicate pre-existing anti-FVIII antibodies, induce immune tolerance, and provide long-term therapeutic FVIII expression to prevent bleeding. Herein, we review the accumulating evidence that continuous uninterrupted expression of FVIII and other transgenes after liver-directed AAV gene therapy can bias the immune system toward immune tolerance induction, discuss the current understanding of the immunological mechanisms of this process, and outline questions that will need to be addressed to translate this strategy to clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J. Samelson-Jones
- The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Valder R. Arruda
- The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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27
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Abstract
Gene therapy using virus vectors to treat hereditary diseases has made remarkable progress in the past decade. There are FDA-approved products for ex-vivo gene therapy for diseases such as immunodeficiencies (e.g., SCID), and in vivo gene therapy for a rare blindness and neuro-muscular disease. Gene therapy for hereditary hearing loss has picked up pace in the past five years due to progress in understanding disease gene function as well as the development of better technologies such as adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors, to deliver nucleic acid to target cells in the inner ear. This review has two major goals. One is to review the state of the art for investigators already working in preclinical cochlear gene therapy. The other is to present the language of vectorology and important considerations for designing and using AAV vectors to inner ear neurobiologists who might use AAV vectors in the cochlea for either therapeutic or basic biological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casey A Maguire
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02114, USA; Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - David P Corey
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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28
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Abstract
Several viral vector-based gene therapy drugs have now received marketing approval. A much larger number of additional viral vectors are in various stages of clinical trials for the treatment of genetic and acquired diseases, with many more in pre-clinical testing. Efficiency of gene transfer and ability to provide long-term therapy make these vector systems very attractive. In fact, viral vector gene therapy has been able to treat or even cure diseases for which there had been no or only suboptimal treatments. However, innate and adaptive immune responses to these vectors and their transgene products constitute substantial hurdles to clinical development and wider use in patients. This review provides an overview of the type of immune responses that have been documented in animal models and in humans who received gene transfer with one of three widely tested vector systems, namely adenoviral, lentiviral, or adeno-associated viral vectors. Particular emphasis is given to mechanisms leading to immune responses, efforts to reduce vector immunogenicity, and potential solutions to the problems. At the same time, we point out gaps in our knowledge that should to be filled and problems that need to be addressed going forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie L Shirley
- Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts, Worchester, MA, USA
| | - Ype P de Jong
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Cox Terhorst
- Division of Immunology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Roland W Herzog
- Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
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29
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Pryshliak M, Hazini A, Knoch K, Dieringer B, Tolksdorf B, Solimena M, Kurreck J, Pinkert S, Fechner H. MiR‐375‐mediated suppression of engineered coxsackievirus B3 in pancreatic cells. FEBS Lett 2019; 594:763-775. [DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Markian Pryshliak
- Department of Applied Biochemistry Institute of Biotechnology Technische Universität Berlin Germany
| | - Ahmet Hazini
- Department of Applied Biochemistry Institute of Biotechnology Technische Universität Berlin Germany
| | - Klaus Knoch
- Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden Helmholtz Center Munich Faculty of Medicine University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Technische Universität Dresden Germany
| | - Babette Dieringer
- Department of Applied Biochemistry Institute of Biotechnology Technische Universität Berlin Germany
| | - Beatrice Tolksdorf
- Department of Applied Biochemistry Institute of Biotechnology Technische Universität Berlin Germany
| | - Michele Solimena
- Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden Helmholtz Center Munich Faculty of Medicine University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Technische Universität Dresden Germany
| | - Jens Kurreck
- Department of Applied Biochemistry Institute of Biotechnology Technische Universität Berlin Germany
| | - Sandra Pinkert
- Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) Institute of Biochemistry Charité ‐ Universitätsmedizin Berlin Humboldt‐Universität zu Berlin Germany
| | - Henry Fechner
- Department of Applied Biochemistry Institute of Biotechnology Technische Universität Berlin Germany
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30
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Domenger C, Grimm D. Next-generation AAV vectors—do not judge a virus (only) by its cover. Hum Mol Genet 2019; 28:R3-R14. [DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddz148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Revised: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractRecombinant adeno-associated viruses (AAV) are under intensive investigation in numerous clinical trials after they have emerged as a highly promising vector for human gene therapy. Best exemplifying their power and potential is the authorization of three gene therapy products based on wild-type AAV serotypes, comprising Glybera (AAV1), Luxturna (AAV2) and, most recently, Zolgensma (AAV9). Nonetheless, it has also become evident that the current AAV vector generation will require improvements in transduction potency, antibody evasion and cell/tissue specificity to allow the use of lower and safer vector doses. To this end, others and we devoted substantial previous research to the implementation and application of key technologies for engineering of next-generation viral capsids in a high-throughput ‘top-down’ or (semi-)rational ‘bottom-up’ approach. Here, we describe a set of recent complementary strategies to enhance features of AAV vectors that act on the level of the recombinant cargo. As examples that illustrate the innovative and synergistic concepts that have been reported lately, we highlight (i) novel synthetic enhancers/promoters that provide an unprecedented degree of AAV tissue specificity, (ii) pioneering genetic circuit designs that harness biological (microRNAs) or physical (light) triggers as regulators of AAV gene expression and (iii) new insights into the role of AAV DNA structures on vector genome stability, integrity and functionality. Combined with ongoing capsid engineering and selection efforts, these and other state-of-the-art innovations and investigations promise to accelerate the arrival of the next generation of AAV vectors and to solidify the unique role of this exciting virus in human gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Domenger
- Department of Infectious Diseases/Virology, Heidelberg University Hospital, BioQuant Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dirk Grimm
- Department of Infectious Diseases/Virology, Heidelberg University Hospital, BioQuant Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) and German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Heidelberg, Germany
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31
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Long S, Li G. Comprehensive analysis of a long non-coding RNA-mediated competitive endogenous RNA network in glioblastoma multiforme. Exp Ther Med 2019; 18:1081-1090. [PMID: 31316603 PMCID: PMC6601370 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2019.7647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The present bioinformatics study focused on glioblastoma multiforme (GBM; grade IV glioma), a common and aggressive type of primary malignant brain tumor in adults. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) function as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) to regulate gene expression by interacting with microRNAs (miRNAs) in cancer. These mechanisms and phenomenon are always present but they may be deregulated or activated in cancer. In the present study, a computational method was applied to construct lncRNA-mediated ceRNA networks by integrating lncRNA and mRNA expression profiles and miRNA-mediated interactions, and functional Gene Ontology (GO) and pathway analyses were performed. From the ceRNA network, a total of 7 miRNAs, 159 lncRNAs and 31 mRNAs were obtained that were differentially expressed between GBM and adjacent tissue groups. Through survival analysis based on these RNAs from the ceRNA network, 2 mRNAs and 14 lncRNAs that had a significant impact on the survival of GBM patients were identified. Subsequently, GO and pathway analyses revealed that certain functions of the differentially expressed mRNAs were associated with processes important for the pathogenesis of GBM. The biological functions of several miRNA-mediated ceRNAs in GBM were predicted. The present study provides novel insight that may enhance the understanding of the functions of ceRNAs in GBM, as well as biomarkers for the development of therapies for GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengrong Long
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001, P.R. China
| | - Guangyu Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001, P.R. China
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32
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Xiao Y, Muhuri M, Li S, Qin W, Xu G, Luo L, Li J, Letizia AJ, Wang SK, Chan YK, Wang C, Fuchs SP, Wang D, Su Q, Nahid MA, Church GM, Farzan M, Yang L, Wei Y, Desrosiers RC, Mueller C, Tai PW, Gao G. Circumventing cellular immunity by miR142-mediated regulation sufficiently supports rAAV-delivered OVA expression without activating humoral immunity. JCI Insight 2019; 5:99052. [PMID: 31112525 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.99052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV)-mediated gene delivery can efficiently target muscle tissues to serve as "biofactories" for secreted proteins in prophylactic and therapeutic scenarios. Nevertheless, efficient rAAV-mediated gene delivery is often limited by host immune responses against the transgene product. The development of strategies to prevent anti-transgene immunity is therefore crucial. The employment of endogenous microRNA (miRNA)-mediated regulation to detarget transgene expression from antigen presenting cells (APCs) has shown promise for reducing immunogenicity. However, the mechanisms underlying miRNA-mediated modulation of anti-transgene immunity by APC detargeting are not fully understood. Using the highly immunogenic ovalbumin (OVA) protein as a proxy for foreign antigens, we show that rAAV vectors containing miR142 binding sites efficiently repress co-stimulatory signals in dendritic cells, significantly blunt the cytotoxic T cell response, allow for sustained transgene expression in skeletal myoblasts, and attenuate clearance of transduced muscle cells in mice. Furthermore, the blunting of humoral immunity against circulating OVA correlates with detargeting of OVA expression from APCs. This demonstrates that incorporating APC-specific miRNA binding sites into rAAV vectors provides an effective strategy for reducing transgene-specific immune response. This approach holds promise for clinical applications where the safe and efficient delivery of a prophylactic or therapeutic protein is desired.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, China.,Horae Gene Therapy Center and.,Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Manish Muhuri
- Horae Gene Therapy Center and.,Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Shaoyong Li
- Horae Gene Therapy Center and.,Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Wanru Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, China
| | - Guangchao Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, China.,Horae Gene Therapy Center and.,Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Li Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, China.,Horae Gene Therapy Center and.,Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jia Li
- Horae Gene Therapy Center and.,Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Alexander J Letizia
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sean K Wang
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ying Kai Chan
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Chunmei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, China
| | - Sebastian P Fuchs
- Department of Pathology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Dan Wang
- Horae Gene Therapy Center and.,Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Qin Su
- Horae Gene Therapy Center and
| | - M Abu Nahid
- Horae Gene Therapy Center and.,Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - George M Church
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Michael Farzan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida, USA
| | - Li Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuquan Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, China
| | - Ronald C Desrosiers
- Department of Pathology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Christian Mueller
- Horae Gene Therapy Center and.,Department of Pediatrics and.,Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Phillip Wl Tai
- Horae Gene Therapy Center and.,Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Guangping Gao
- Horae Gene Therapy Center and.,Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA.,Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
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33
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Abstract
Gene expression regulation is the result of complex interactions between transcriptional and post-transcriptional controls, resulting in cell-type-specific gene expression patterns that are determined by the developmental and differentiation stage of pathophysiological conditions. Understanding the complexity of gene expression regulatory networks is fundamental to gene therapy, an approach which has the potential to treat and cure inherited disorders by delivering the correct gene to patient specific cells or tissues by means of both viral and non-viral vectors. Besides the issues of biosafety, in recent years efforts have focused on achieving a robust and sustained transgene expression, which attains a phenotypic correction in several diseases, while avoiding transgene-related adverse effects, such as overexpression-associated cytotoxicity and/or immune responses to the transgene. In this sense, the use of cell-type-specific promoters and microRNA target sequences (miRTs) in gene transfer expression cassettes have allowed for a restricted expression after gene transfer in several studies. This review will focus on the use of transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation to achieve a highly specific and safe transgene expression, as well as their application in ex vivo and in vivo gene therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Merlin
- Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
| | - Antonia Follenzi
- Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
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34
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Abstract
The central nervous system (CNS) is a fascinating and intricate set of biological structures that we have yet to fully understand. Studying the in vivo function of the CNS and finding novel methods for treating neurological disorders have been particularly challenging. One difficulty is correcting genetic disorders afflicting the CNS in a targeted manner. Recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs) have emerged as promising therapeutic tools for treating genetic defects of the CNS, due to their excellent safety profile and ability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). While stereotactic injection of AAV is promising for localized gene delivery, it is less desirable for some applications because of the technique's invasiveness and limited intraparenchymal spread. Alternatively, intravascular administration can achieve widespread delivery of rAAV to the CNS. In this chapter, we will discuss the prevalent routes of administration to deliver rAAV to the CNS via intravenous (IV) injection in mice. We will highlight key considerations for using rAAV, and the advantages and disadvantages of each administration method. We will also briefly discuss intravenous delivery in larger animal models, factors that may impact experimental interpretations, and outlooks for clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic J Gessler
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Phillip W L Tai
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Jia Li
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Guangping Gao
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
- Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
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35
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Conventional hemophilia treatment is based on repeated infusion of the missing clotting factor. This therapy is lifelong, expensive and can result in the formation of neutralizing antibodies, thus causing failure of the treatment and requiring higher doses of the replacement drug. Areas covered: Gene and cell therapies offer the advantage of providing a definitive and long-lasting correction of the mutated gene, promoting its physiological expression and preventing neutralizing antibody development. This review focuses on the most recent approaches that have been shown to prevent and even eradicate immune response toward the replaced factor. Expert commentary: Despite the encouraging data demonstrated by ongoing clinical trials and pre-clinical studies, more extensive investigations are necessary to establish the long-term safety and efficacy of gene therapy treatments in maintaining immune tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Borsotti
- a Department of Health Sciences , Università del Piemonte Orientale , Novara , Italy
| | - Antonia Follenzi
- a Department of Health Sciences , Università del Piemonte Orientale , Novara , Italy
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36
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Lin MW, Tseng YW, Shen CC, Hsu MN, Hwu JR, Chang CW, Yeh CJ, Chou MY, Wu JC, Hu YC. Synthetic switch-based baculovirus for transgene expression control and selective killing of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Nucleic Acids Res 2018; 46:e93. [PMID: 29905834 PMCID: PMC6125686 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Revised: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Baculovirus (BV) holds promise as a vector for anticancer gene delivery to combat the most common liver cancer-hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, in vivo BV administration inevitably results in BV entry into non-HCC normal cells, leaky anticancer gene expression and possible toxicity. To improve the safety, we employed synthetic biology to engineer BV for transgene expression regulation. We first uncovered that miR-196a and miR-126 are exclusively expressed in HCC and normal cells, respectively, which allowed us to engineer a sensor based on distinct miRNA expression signature. We next assembled a synthetic switch by coupling the miRNA sensor and RNA binding protein L7Ae for translational repression, and incorporated the entire device into a single BV. The recombinant BV efficiently entered HCC and normal cells and enabled cis-acting transgene expression control, by turning OFF transgene expression in normal cells while switching ON transgene expression in HCC cells. Using pro-apoptotic hBax as the transgene, the switch-based BV selectively killed HCC cells in separate culture and mixed culture of HCC and normal cells. These data demonstrate the potential of synthetic switch-based BV to distinguish HCC and non-HCC normal cells for selective transgene expression control and killing of HCC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei-Wei Lin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Biomedical Technology and Device Research Laboratories, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Wen Tseng
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Che Shen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Mu-Nung Hsu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Jih-Ru Hwu
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Frontier Research Center on Fundamental and Applied Sciences of Matters, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Chin-Wei Chang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Ju Yeh
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Min-Yuan Chou
- Biomedical Technology and Device Research Laboratories, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Jaw-Ching Wu
- Medical Research Department, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei Taiwan
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chen Hu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Frontier Research Center on Fundamental and Applied Sciences of Matters, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
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37
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Hemophilia is an X-linked blood coagulation genetic disorder, which can cause significant disability. Replacement therapy for coagulation factor VIII (hemophilia A) or factor IX (hemophilia B) may result in the development of high-affinity alloantibodies ('inhibitors') to the replacement therapy, thus making it ineffective. Therefore, there is interest in directing immunological responses towards tolerance to infused factors. RECENT FINDINGS In this review, we will discuss latest advancements in the development of potentially less immunogenic replacement clotting factors, optimization of current tolerance induction protocols (ITI), preclinical and clinical data of pharmacological immune modulation, hepatic gene therapy, and the rapidly advancing field of cell therapies. We will also evaluate publications reporting data from preclinical studies on oral tolerance induction using chloroplast-transgenic (transplastomic) plants. SUMMARY Until now, no clinical prophylactic immune modulatory protocol exists to prevent inhibitor formation to infused clotting factors. Recent innovative technologies provide hope for improved eradication and perhaps even prevention of inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Sherman
- Department Pediatrics, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
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38
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Sheikh IS, Keefe KM, Sterling NA, Junker IP, Eneanya CI, Liu Y, Tang XQ, Smith GM. Retrogradely Transportable Lentivirus Tracers for Mapping Spinal Cord Locomotor Circuits. Front Neural Circuits 2018; 12:60. [PMID: 30090059 PMCID: PMC6068242 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2018.00060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Retrograde tracing is a key facet of neuroanatomical studies involving long distance projection neurons. Previous groups have utilized a variety of tools ranging from classical chemical tracers to newer methods employing viruses for gene delivery. Here, we highlight the usage of a lentivirus that permits highly efficient retrograde transport (HiRet) from synaptic terminals within the cervical and lumbar enlargements of the spinal cord. By injecting HiRet, we can clearly identify supraspinal and propriospinal circuits innervating motor neuron pools relating to forelimb and hindlimb function. We observed robust labeling of propriospinal neurons, including high fidelity details of dendritic arbors and axon terminals seldom seen with chemical tracers. In addition, we examine changes in interneuronal circuits occurring after a thoracic contusion, highlighting populations that potentially contribute to spontaneous behavioral recovery in this lesion model. Our study demonstrates that the HiRet lentivirus is a unique tool for examining neuronal circuitry within the brain and spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imran S Sheikh
- Department of Neuroscience, Shriners Hospitals Pediatric Research Center, Center for Neural Rehabilitation and Repair, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Kathleen M Keefe
- Department of Neuroscience, Shriners Hospitals Pediatric Research Center, Center for Neural Rehabilitation and Repair, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Noelle A Sterling
- Department of Neuroscience, Shriners Hospitals Pediatric Research Center, Center for Neural Rehabilitation and Repair, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Ian P Junker
- Department of Neuroscience, Shriners Hospitals Pediatric Research Center, Center for Neural Rehabilitation and Repair, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Chidubem I Eneanya
- Department of Neuroscience, Shriners Hospitals Pediatric Research Center, Center for Neural Rehabilitation and Repair, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Yingpeng Liu
- Department of Neuroscience, Shriners Hospitals Pediatric Research Center, Center for Neural Rehabilitation and Repair, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Xiao-Qing Tang
- Department of Neuroscience, Shriners Hospitals Pediatric Research Center, Center for Neural Rehabilitation and Repair, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - George M Smith
- Department of Neuroscience, Shriners Hospitals Pediatric Research Center, Center for Neural Rehabilitation and Repair, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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39
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Evens H, Chuah MK, VandenDriessche T. Haemophilia gene therapy: From trailblazer to gamechanger. Haemophilia 2018; 24 Suppl 6:50-59. [DOI: 10.1111/hae.13494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- H. Evens
- Department of Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine Faculty of Medicine & Pharmacy Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) Brussels Belgium
| | - M. K. Chuah
- Department of Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine Faculty of Medicine & Pharmacy Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) Brussels Belgium
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences Center for Molecular & Vascular Biology University of Leuven Leuven Belgium
| | - T. VandenDriessche
- Department of Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine Faculty of Medicine & Pharmacy Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) Brussels Belgium
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences Center for Molecular & Vascular Biology University of Leuven Leuven Belgium
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40
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Yao Y, Zhang Y, Tang N, Pedrera M, Shen Z, Nair V. Inhibition of v- rel-Induced Oncogenesis through microRNA Targeting. Viruses 2018; 10:v10050242. [PMID: 29734737 PMCID: PMC5977235 DOI: 10.3390/v10050242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies have shown that microRNA-targeting is an effective strategy for the selective control of tissue-tropism and pathogenesis of both DNA and RNA viruses. However, the exploitation of microRNA-targeting for the inhibition of transformation by oncogenic viruses has not been studied. The v-rel oncoprotein encoded by reticuloendotheliosis virus T strain (Rev-T) is a member of the rel/NF-κB family of transcription factors capable of transforming primary chicken spleen and bone marrow cells. Here, by engineering the target sequence of endogenous microRNA miR-142 downstream of the v-rel gene in a Replication-Competent ALV (avian leukosis virus) long terminal repeat (LTR) with a splice acceptor (RCAS) vector and using a v-rel-induced transformation model of chicken embryonic splenocyte cultures, we show that hematopoietic-specific miR-142 can inhibit the v-rel-induced transformation, and that this inhibition effect is due to the silencing of v-rel expression. The data supports the idea that microRNA-targeting can be used to inhibit viral oncogene-induced oncogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongxiu Yao
- The Pirbright Institute & UK-China Centre of Excellence for Research on Avian Diseases, Pirbright, Ash Road, Guildford, Surrey GU24 0NF, UK.
| | - Yaoyao Zhang
- The Pirbright Institute & UK-China Centre of Excellence for Research on Avian Diseases, Pirbright, Ash Road, Guildford, Surrey GU24 0NF, UK.
| | - Na Tang
- The Pirbright Institute & UK-China Centre of Excellence for Research on Avian Diseases, Pirbright, Ash Road, Guildford, Surrey GU24 0NF, UK.
- Binzhou Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine Academy & UK-China Centre of Excellence for Research on Avian Diseases, Binzhou 256600, Shandong, China.
| | - Miriam Pedrera
- The Pirbright Institute & UK-China Centre of Excellence for Research on Avian Diseases, Pirbright, Ash Road, Guildford, Surrey GU24 0NF, UK.
| | - Zhiqiang Shen
- Binzhou Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine Academy & UK-China Centre of Excellence for Research on Avian Diseases, Binzhou 256600, Shandong, China.
| | - Venugopal Nair
- The Pirbright Institute & UK-China Centre of Excellence for Research on Avian Diseases, Pirbright, Ash Road, Guildford, Surrey GU24 0NF, UK.
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41
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Annoni A, Gregori S, Naldini L, Cantore A. Modulation of immune responses in lentiviral vector-mediated gene transfer. Cell Immunol 2019; 342:103802. [PMID: 29735164 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2018.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Revised: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Lentiviral vectors (LV) are widely used vehicles for gene transfer and therapy in pre-clinical animal models and clinical trials with promising safety and efficacy results. However, host immune responses against vector- and/or transgene-derived antigens remain a major obstacle to the success and broad applicability of gene therapy. Here we review the innate and adaptive immunological barriers to successful gene therapy, both in the context of ex vivo and in vivo LV gene therapy, mostly concerning systemic LV delivery and discuss possible means to overcome them, including vector design and production and immune modulatory strategies.
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42
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Herrera-Carrillo E, Liu YP, Berkhout B. Improving miRNA Delivery by Optimizing miRNA Expression Cassettes in Diverse Virus Vectors. Hum Gene Ther Methods 2018; 28:177-190. [PMID: 28712309 DOI: 10.1089/hgtb.2017.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The RNA interference pathway is an evolutionary conserved post-transcriptional gene regulation mechanism that is exclusively triggered by double-stranded RNA inducers. RNAi-based methods and technologies have facilitated the discovery of many basic science findings and spurred the development of novel RNA therapeutics. Transient induction of RNAi via transfection of synthetic small interfering RNAs can trigger the selective knockdown of a target mRNA. For durable silencing of gene expression, either artificial short hairpin RNA or microRNA encoding transgene constructs were developed. These miRNAs are based on the molecules that induce the natural RNAi pathway in mammals and humans: the endogenously expressed miRNAs. Significant efforts focused on the construction and delivery of miRNA cassettes in order to solve basic biology questions or to design new therapy strategies. Several viral vectors have been developed, which are particularly useful for the delivery of miRNA expression cassettes to specific target cells. Each vector system has its own unique set of distinct properties. Thus, depending on the specific application, a particular vector may be most suitable. This field was previously reviewed for different viral vector systems, and now the recent progress in the field of miRNA-based gene-silencing approaches using lentiviral vectors is reported. The focus is on the unique properties and respective limitations of the available vector systems for miRNA delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Herrera-Carrillo
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam , Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ying Poi Liu
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam , Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ben Berkhout
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam , Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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43
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Sherman A, Biswas M, Herzog RW. Innovative Approaches for Immune Tolerance to Factor VIII in the Treatment of Hemophilia A. Front Immunol 2017; 8:1604. [PMID: 29225598 PMCID: PMC5705551 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Hemophilia A (coagulation factor VIII deficiency) is a debilitating genetic disorder that is primarily treated with intravenous replacement therapy. Despite a variety of factor VIII protein formulations available, the risk of developing anti-dug antibodies (“inhibitors”) remains. Overall, 20–30% of patients with severe disease develop inhibitors. Current clinical immune tolerance induction protocols to eliminate inhibitors are not effective in all patients, and there are no prophylactic protocols to prevent the immune response. New experimental therapies, such as gene and cell therapies, show promising results in pre-clinical studies in animal models of hemophilia. Examples include hepatic gene transfer with viral vectors, genetically engineered regulatory T cells (Treg), in vivo Treg induction using immune modulatory drugs, and maternal antigen transfer. Furthermore, an oral tolerance protocol is being developed based on transgenic lettuce plants, which suppressed inhibitor formation in hemophilic mice and dogs. Hopefully, some of these innovative approaches will reduce the risk of and/or more effectively eliminate inhibitor formation in future treatment of hemophilia A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Sherman
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Moanaro Biswas
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Roland W Herzog
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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44
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Manceur AP, Kim H, Misic V, Andreev N, Dorion-Thibaudeau J, Lanthier S, Bernier A, Tremblay S, Gélinas AM, Broussau S, Gilbert R, Ansorge S. Scalable Lentiviral Vector Production Using Stable HEK293SF Producer Cell Lines. Hum Gene Ther Methods 2017; 28:330-339. [PMID: 28826344 PMCID: PMC5734158 DOI: 10.1089/hgtb.2017.086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Lentiviral vectors (LV) represent a key tool for gene and cell therapy applications. The production of these vectors in sufficient quantities for clinical applications remains a hurdle, prompting the field toward developing suspension processes that are conducive to large-scale production. This study describes a LV production strategy using a stable inducible producer cell line. The HEK293 cell line employed grows in suspension, thus offering direct scalability, and produces a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing lentiviral vector in the 106 transduction units (TU)/mL range without optimization. The stable producer cell line, called clone 92, was derived by stable transfection from a packaging cell line with a plasmid encoding the transgene GFP. The packaging cell line expresses all the other necessary components to produce LV upon induction with cumate and doxycycline. First, the study demonstrated that LV production using clone 92 is scalable from 20 mL shake flasks to 3 L bioreactors. Next, two strategies were developed for high-yield LV production in perfusion mode using acoustic cell filter technology in 1–3 L bioreactors. The first approach uses a basal commercial medium and perfusion mode both pre- and post-induction for increasing cell density and LV recovery. The second approach makes use of a fortified medium formulation to achieve target cell density for induction in batch mode, followed by perfusion mode after induction. Using these perfusion-based strategies, the titer was improved to 3.2 × 107 TU/mL. As a result, cumulative functional LV titers were increased by up to 15-fold compared to batch mode, reaching a cumulative total yield of 8 × 1010 TU/L of bioreactor culture. This approach is easily amenable to large-scale production and commercial manufacturing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aziza P Manceur
- 1 Human Health Therapeutics, National Research Council Canada , Montreal, Canada
| | - Howard Kim
- 2 BridGE, Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine , Toronto, Canada
| | - Vanja Misic
- 2 BridGE, Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine , Toronto, Canada
| | - Nadejda Andreev
- 2 BridGE, Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine , Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Stéphane Lanthier
- 1 Human Health Therapeutics, National Research Council Canada , Montreal, Canada
| | - Alice Bernier
- 1 Human Health Therapeutics, National Research Council Canada , Montreal, Canada
| | - Sonia Tremblay
- 1 Human Health Therapeutics, National Research Council Canada , Montreal, Canada
| | - Anne-Marie Gélinas
- 1 Human Health Therapeutics, National Research Council Canada , Montreal, Canada
| | - Sophie Broussau
- 1 Human Health Therapeutics, National Research Council Canada , Montreal, Canada
| | - Rénald Gilbert
- 1 Human Health Therapeutics, National Research Council Canada , Montreal, Canada
| | - Sven Ansorge
- 1 Human Health Therapeutics, National Research Council Canada , Montreal, Canada
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45
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierry VandenDriessche
- Department of Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Free University of Brussels (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
- Center for Molecular & Vascular Biology, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marinee K. Chuah
- Department of Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Free University of Brussels (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
- Center for Molecular & Vascular Biology, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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46
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Bočkor L, Bortolussi G, Iaconcig A, Chiaruttini G, Tiribelli C, Giacca M, Benvenuti F, Zentilin L, Muro AF. Repeated AAV-mediated gene transfer by serotype switching enables long-lasting therapeutic levels of hUgt1a1 enzyme in a mouse model of Crigler-Najjar Syndrome Type I. Gene Ther 2017; 24:649-60. [PMID: 28805798 DOI: 10.1038/gt.2017.75] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Revised: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) -mediated gene therapy is a promising strategy to treat liver-based monogenic diseases. However, two major obstacles limit its success: first, vector dilution in actively dividing cells, such as hepatocytes in neonates/children, due to the non-integrating nature of the vector; second, development of an immune response against the transgene and/or viral vector. Crigler-Najjar Syndrome Type I is a rare monogenic disease with neonatal onset, caused by mutations in the liver-specific UGT1 gene, with toxic accumulation of unconjugated bilirubin in plasma, tissues and brain. To establish an effective and long lasting cure, we applied AAV-mediated liver gene therapy to a relevant mouse model of the disease. Repeated gene transfer to adults by AAV-serotype switching, upon neonatal administration, resulted in lifelong correction of total bilirubin (TB) levels in both genders. In contrast, vector loss over time was observed after a single neonatal administration. Adult administration resulted in lifelong TB levels correction in male, but not female Ugt1-/- mice. Our findings demonstrate that neonatal AAV-mediated gene transfer to the liver supports a second transfer of the therapeutic vector, by preventing the induction of an immune response and supporting the possibility to improve AAV-therapeutic efficacy by repeated administration.
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47
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Merlin S, Cannizzo ES, Borroni E, Bruscaggin V, Schinco P, Tulalamba W, Chuah MK, Arruda VR, VandenDriessche T, Prat M, Valente G, Follenzi A. A Novel Platform for Immune Tolerance Induction in Hemophilia A Mice. Mol Ther 2017; 25:1815-1830. [PMID: 28552407 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2017.04.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Revised: 04/27/2017] [Accepted: 04/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Hemophilia A (HA) is an X-linked bleeding disease caused by factor VIII (FVIII) deficiency. We previously demonstrated that FVIII is produced specifically in liver sinusoid endothelial cells (LSECs) and to some degree in myeloid cells, and thus, in the present work, we seek to restrict the expression of FVIII transgene to these cells using cell-specific promoters. With this approach, we aim to limit immune response in a mouse model by lentiviral vector (LV)-mediated gene therapy encoding FVIII. To increase the target specificity of FVIII expression, we included miRNA target sequences (miRTs) (i.e., miRT-142.3p, miRT-126, and miRT-122) to silence expression in hematopoietic cells, endothelial cells, and hepatocytes, respectively. Notably, we report, for the first time, therapeutic levels of FVIII transgene expression at its natural site of production, which occurred without the formation of neutralizing antibodies (inhibitors). Moreover, inhibitors were eradicated in FVIII pre-immune mice through a regulatory T cell-dependent mechanism. In conclusion, targeting FVIII expression to LSECs and myeloid cells by using LVs with cell-specific promoter minimized off-target expression and immune responses. Therefore, at least for some transgenes, expression at the physiologic site of synthesis can enhance efficacy and safety, resulting in long-term correction of genetic diseases such as HA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Merlin
- Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Elvira Stefania Cannizzo
- Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Ester Borroni
- Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Valentina Bruscaggin
- Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Piercarla Schinco
- Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza, 10126 Torino, Italy
| | - Warut Tulalamba
- Department of Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Free University of Brussels, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marinee K Chuah
- Department of Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Free University of Brussels, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Valder R Arruda
- The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Thierry VandenDriessche
- Department of Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Free University of Brussels, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Maria Prat
- Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Guido Valente
- Department of Translational Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Antonia Follenzi
- Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", 28100 Novara, Italy.
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48
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Abstract
Cell-specific restriction of viral replication without concomitant attenuation can benefit vaccine development, gene therapy, oncolytic virotherapy, and understanding the biological properties of viruses. There are several mechanisms for regulating viral tropism, however they tend to be virus class specific and many result in virus attenuation. Additionally, many viruses, including picornaviruses, exhibit size constraints that do not allow for incorporation of large amounts of foreign genetic material required for some targeting methods. MicroRNAs are short, non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression in eukaryotic cells by binding complementary target sequences in messenger RNAs, preventing their translation or accelerating their degradation. Different cells exhibit distinct microRNA signatures and many microRNAs serve as biomarkers. These differential expression patterns can be exploited for restricting gene expression in cells that express specific microRNAs while maintaining expression in cells that do not. In regards to regulating viral tropism, sequences complementary to specific microRNAs are incorporated into the viral genome, generally in the 3' non-coding regions, targeting them for destruction in the presence of the cognate microRNAs thus preventing viral gene expression and/or replication. MicroRNA-targeting is a technique that theoretically can be applied to all viral vectors without altering the potency of the virus in the absence of the corresponding microRNAs. Here we describe experimental methods associated with generating a microRNA-targeted picornavirus and evaluating the efficacy and specificity of that targeting in vitro. This protocol is designed for a rapidly replicating virus with a lytic replication cycle, however, modification of the time points analyzed and the specific virus titration readouts used will aid in the adaptation of this protocol to many different viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Autumn J Ruiz
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine;
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49
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Levy C, Fusil F, Amirache F, Costa C, Girard-Gagnepain A, Negre D, Bernadin O, Garaulet G, Rodriguez A, Nair N, Vandendriessche T, Chuah M, Cosset FL, Verhoeyen E. Baboon envelope pseudotyped lentiviral vectors efficiently transduce human B cells and allow active factor IX B cell secretion in vivo in NOD/SCIDγc -/- mice. J Thromb Haemost 2016; 14:2478-2492. [PMID: 27685947 DOI: 10.1111/jth.13520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Essentials B cells are attractive targets for gene therapy and particularly interesting for immunotherapy. A baboon envelope pseudotyped lentiviral vector (BaEV-LV) was tested for B-cell transduction. BaEV-LVs transduced mature and plasma human B cells with very high efficacy. BaEV-LVs allowed secretion of functional factor IX from B cells at therapeutic levels in vivo. SUMMARY Background B cells are attractive targets for gene therapy for diseases associated with B-cell dysfunction and particularly interesting for immunotherapy. Moreover, B cells are potent protein-secreting cells and can be tolerogenic antigen-presenting cells. Objective Evaluation of human B cells for secretion of clotting factors such as factor IX (FIX) as a possible treatment for hemophilia. Methods We tested here for the first time our newly developed baboon envelope (BaEV) pseudotyped lentiviral vectors (LVs) for human (h) B-cell transduction following their adaptive transfer into an NOD/SCIDγc-/- (NSG) mouse. Results Upon B-cell receptor stimulation, BaEV-LVs transduced up to 80% of hB cells, whereas vesicular stomatitis virus G protein VSV-G-LV only reached 5%. Remarkably, BaEVTR-LVs permitted efficient transduction of 20% of resting naive and 40% of resting memory B cells. Importantly, BaEV-LVs reached up to 100% transduction of human plasmocytes ex vivo. Adoptive transfer of BaEV-LV-transduced mature B cells into NOD/SCID/γc-/- (NSG) [non-obese diabetic (NOD), severe combined immuno-deficiency (SCID)] mice allowed differentiation into plasmablasts and plasma B cells, confirming a sustained high-level gene marking in vivo. As proof of principle, we assessed BaEV-LV for transfer of human factor IX (hFIX) into B cells. BaEV-LVs encoding FIX efficiently transduced hB cells and their transfer into NSG mice demonstrated for the first time secretion of functional hFIX from hB cells at therapeutic levels in vivo. Conclusions The BaEV-LVs might represent a valuable tool for therapeutic protein secretion from autologous B cells in vivo in the treatment of hemophilia and other acquired or inherited diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Levy
- CIRI - International Center for Infectiology Research, Team EVIR, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Univ Lyon, F-69007, Lyon, France
| | - F Fusil
- CIRI - International Center for Infectiology Research, Team EVIR, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Univ Lyon, F-69007, Lyon, France
| | - F Amirache
- CIRI - International Center for Infectiology Research, Team EVIR, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Univ Lyon, F-69007, Lyon, France
| | - C Costa
- CIRI - International Center for Infectiology Research, Team EVIR, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Univ Lyon, F-69007, Lyon, France
| | - A Girard-Gagnepain
- CIRI - International Center for Infectiology Research, Team EVIR, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Univ Lyon, F-69007, Lyon, France
| | - D Negre
- CIRI - International Center for Infectiology Research, Team EVIR, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Univ Lyon, F-69007, Lyon, France
| | - O Bernadin
- CIRI - International Center for Infectiology Research, Team EVIR, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Univ Lyon, F-69007, Lyon, France
| | - G Garaulet
- Department of Molecular Biology, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - A Rodriguez
- Department of Molecular Biology, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - N Nair
- Department of Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, Free University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
- Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology and Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - T Vandendriessche
- Department of Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, Free University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
- Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology and Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - M Chuah
- Department of Molecular Biology, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology and Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - F-L Cosset
- CIRI - International Center for Infectiology Research, Team EVIR, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Univ Lyon, F-69007, Lyon, France
| | - E Verhoeyen
- CIRI - International Center for Infectiology Research, Team EVIR, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Univ Lyon, F-69007, Lyon, France
- Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire (C3M), Inserm, U1065, Équipe 'contrôle métabolique des morts cellulaires', Nice, France
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50
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Hartmann J, Croteau SE. 2017 Clinical trials update: Innovations in hemophilia therapy. Am J Hematol 2016; 91:1252-1260. [PMID: 27563744 DOI: 10.1002/ajh.24543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Revised: 08/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
A surge in therapeutic clinical trials over recent years is paving the way for transformative treatment options for patients with hemophilia. The introduction of recombinant factor concentrates in the early 1990s facilitated the use of prophylactic replacement as standard care for hemophilia rather than on-demand treatment. This has revolutionized health outcomes for hemophilia patients, enabling participation in physical activities and reducing debilitating, chronic joint damage. Challenges of prophylactic factor infusion include the frequency of infusions needed to maintain factor levels greater than 1%, patient adherence, reliable intravenous access, and development of neutralizing alloantibodies ("inhibitors"). Novel therapeutics seek to improve upon current factor concentrates by several different mechanisms: (1) extending the half-life of circulating exogenous factor protein, (2) replacing the gene necessary for production of endogenous factor protein, (3) employing bispecific antibody technology to mimic the coagulation function of factor VIII, (4) disrupting anticoagulant proteins, such as tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) or antithrombin (AT3) with antibodies, aptamers, or RNA interference technology. Emerging treatment options may reduce the frequency of (extended half-life products) or eliminate (gene therapy) the need for scheduled factor concentrate infusions, or provide a subcutaneous administration option (bispecific antibody, AT3, and TFPI targeting therapies). In addition, the nonfactor replacement strategies provide a promising treatment option for patients with inhibitors, presently the greatest unmet medical need in hemophilia. This review highlights current and recently completed clinical trials that are driving a paradigm shift in our approach to hemophilia care for patients with and without inhibitors. Am. J. Hematol. 91:1252-1260, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Hartmann
- Haemonetics Corporation400 Wood RoadBraintree Massachusetts02184
| | - Stacy E. Croteau
- Dana Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and Harvard Medical School450 Brookline Ave, Dana 3Boston Massachusetts02215
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