1
|
Düchs MJ, Kratzer RF, Vieyra-Garcia P, Strobel B, Schönberger T, Groß P, Aljayyoussi G, Gupta A, Lang I, Klein H, Morilla SM, Hopf S, Park J, Kreuz S, Klugmann M, Igney FH. Riboswitch-controlled IL-12 gene therapy reduces hepatocellular cancer in mice. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1360063. [PMID: 38558809 PMCID: PMC10979303 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1360063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and solid cancers with liver metastases are indications with high unmet medical need. Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is a proinflammatory cytokine with substantial anti-tumor properties, but its therapeutic potential has not been realized due to severe toxicity. Here, we show that orthotopic liver tumors in mice can be treated by targeting hepatocytes via systemic delivery of adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors carrying the murine IL-12 gene. Controlled cytokine production was achieved in vivo by using the tetracycline-inducible K19 riboswitch. AAV-mediated expression of IL-12 led to STAT4 phosphorylation, interferon-γ (IFNγ) production, infiltration of T cells and, ultimately, tumor regression. By detailed analyses of efficacy and tolerability in healthy and tumor-bearing animals, we could define a safe and efficacious vector dose. As a potential clinical candidate, we characterized vectors carrying the human IL-12 (huIL-12) gene. In mice, bioactive human IL-12 was expressed in a vector dose-dependent manner and could be induced by tetracycline, suggesting tissue-specific AAV vectors with riboswitch-controlled expression of highly potent proinflammatory cytokines as an attractive approach for vector-based cancer immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthias J. Düchs
- Research Beyond Borders, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Ramona F. Kratzer
- Cancer Immunology and Immune Modulation, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Pablo Vieyra-Garcia
- Cancer Immunology and Immune Modulation, Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co. KG, Vienna, Austria
| | - Benjamin Strobel
- Drug Discovery Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Tanja Schönberger
- Drug Discovery Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Peter Groß
- Drug Discovery Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Ghaith Aljayyoussi
- Drug Discovery Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Aradhana Gupta
- Nonclinical Drug Safety, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ridgefield, CT, United States
| | - Isabel Lang
- Research Beyond Borders, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Holger Klein
- Global Computational Biology and Digital Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Sandra Martinez Morilla
- Cancer Immunology and Immune Modulation, Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co. KG, Ridgefield, CT, United States
| | - Stefan Hopf
- Cancer Immunology and Immune Modulation, Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co. KG, Vienna, Austria
| | - John Park
- Cancer Immunology and Immune Modulation, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Sebastian Kreuz
- Research Beyond Borders, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Matthias Klugmann
- Research Beyond Borders, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Frederik H. Igney
- Cancer Immunology and Immune Modulation, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Yamada M, Suzuki Y, Nagasaki SC, Okuno H, Imayoshi I. Light Control of the Tet Gene Expression System in Mammalian Cells. Cell Rep 2018; 25:487-500.e6. [PMID: 30304687 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.09.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2018] [Revised: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene expression and its network structure are dynamically altered in multicellular systems during morphological, functional, and pathological changes. To precisely analyze the functional roles of dynamic gene expression changes, tools that manipulate gene expression at fine spatiotemporal resolution are needed. The tetracycline (Tet)-controlled gene expression system is a reliable drug-inducible method, and it is used widely in many mammalian cultured cells and model organisms. Here, we develop a photoactivatable (PA)-Tet-OFF/ON system for precise temporal control of gene expression at single-cell resolution. By integrating the cryptochrome 2-cryptochrome-interacting basic helix-loop-helix 1 (Cry2-CIB1) light-inducible binding switch, expression of the gene of interest is tightly regulated under the control of light illumination and drug application in our PA-Tet-OFF/ON system. This system has a large dynamic range of downstream gene expression and rapid activation/deactivation kinetics. We also demonstrate the optogenetic regulation of exogenous gene expression in vivo, such as in developing and adult mouse brains.
Collapse
|
3
|
Sasse A, Hamer SN, Amich J, Binder J, Krappmann S. Mutant characterization and in vivo conditional repression identify aromatic amino acid biosynthesis to be essential for Aspergillus fumigatus virulence. Virulence 2015; 7:56-62. [PMID: 26605426 PMCID: PMC4871646 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2015.1109766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2014] [Revised: 10/07/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogenicity of the saprobe Aspergillus fumigatus strictly depends on nutrient acquisition during infection, as fungal growth determines colonisation and invasion of a susceptible host. Primary metabolism has to be considered as a valid target for antimycotic therapy, based on the fact that several fungal anabolic pathways are not conserved in higher eukaryotes. To test whether fungal proliferation during invasive aspergillosis relies on endogenous biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids, defined auxotrophic mutants of A. fumigatus were generated and assessed for their infectious capacities in neutropenic mice and found to be strongly attenuated in virulence. Moreover, essentiality of the complete biosynthetic pathway could be demonstrated, corroborated by conditional gene expression in infected animals and inhibitor studies. This brief report not only validates the aromatic amino acid biosynthesis pathway of A. fumigatus to be a promising antifungal target but furthermore demonstrates feasibility of conditional gene expression in a murine infection model of aspergillosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Sasse
- Research Center for Infectious Diseases; Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg; Würzburg, Germany
| | - Stefanie N Hamer
- Research Center for Infectious Diseases; Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg; Würzburg, Germany
- Present address: Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology; University of Münster; Müunster, Germany
| | - Jorge Amich
- Department of Medicine II and Center for Interdisciplinary Clinical Research; University Hospital Würzburg; Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jasmin Binder
- Mikrobiologisches Institut - Klinische Mikrobiologie: Immunologie und Hygiene; Universitätsklinikum Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg; Erlangen, Germany
| | - Sven Krappmann
- Research Center for Infectious Diseases; Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg; Würzburg, Germany
- Mikrobiologisches Institut - Klinische Mikrobiologie: Immunologie und Hygiene; Universitätsklinikum Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg; Erlangen, Germany
- Medical Immunology Campus Erlangen; Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg; Erlangen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Sooksawate T, Isa K, Matsui R, Kato S, Kinoshita M, Kobayashi K, Watanabe D, Kobayashi K, Isa T. Viral vector-mediated selective and reversible blockade of the pathway for visual orienting in mice. Front Neural Circuits 2013; 7:162. [PMID: 24130520 PMCID: PMC3795302 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2013.00162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [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: 07/01/2013] [Accepted: 09/21/2013] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Recently, by using a combination of two viral vectors, we developed a technique for pathway-selective and reversible synaptic transmission blockade, and successfully induced a behavioral deficit of dexterous hand movements in macaque monkeys by affecting a population of spinal interneurons. To explore the capacity of this technique to work in other pathways and species, and to obtain fundamental methodological information, we tried to block the crossed tecto-reticular pathway, which is known to control orienting responses to visual targets, in mice. A neuron-specific retrograde gene transfer vector with the gene encoding enhanced tetanus neurotoxin (eTeNT) tagged with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) under the control of a tetracycline responsive element was injected into the left medial pontine reticular formation. 7-17 days later, an adeno-associated viral vector with a highly efficient Tet-ON sequence, rtTAV16, was injected into the right superior colliculus. 5-9 weeks later, the daily administration of doxycycline (Dox) was initiated. Visual orienting responses toward the left side were impaired 1-4 days after Dox administration. Anti-GFP immunohistochemistry revealed that a number of neurons in the intermediate and deep layers of the right superior colliculus were positively stained, indicating eTeNT expression. After the termination of Dox administration, the anti-GFP staining returned to the baseline level within 28 days. A second round of Dox administration, starting from 28 days after the termination of the first Dox administration, resulted in the reappearance of the behavioral impairment. These findings showed that pathway-selective and reversible blockade of synaptic transmission also causes behavioral effects in rodents, and that the crossed tecto-reticular pathway clearly controls visual orienting behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thongchai Sooksawate
- Department of Developmental Physiology, National Institute for Physiological Sciences Okazaki, Japan ; Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|