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Funk C, Uhlig N, Ruzsics Z, Baur F, Peindl M, Nietzer S, Epting K, Vacun G, Dandekar G, Botteron C, Werno C, Grunwald T, Bailer SM. TheraVision: Engineering platform technology for the development of oncolytic viruses based on herpes simplex virus type 1. Mol Ther Oncol 2024; 32:200784. [PMID: 38596296 PMCID: PMC10950833 DOI: 10.1016/j.omton.2024.200784] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Viruses are able to efficiently penetrate cells, multiply, and eventually kill infected cells, release tumor antigens, and activate the immune system. Therefore, viruses are highly attractive novel agents for cancer therapy. Clinical trials with first generations of oncolytic viruses (OVs) are very promising but show significant need for optimization. The aim of TheraVision was to establish a broadly applicable engineering platform technology for combinatorial oncolytic virus and immunotherapy. Through genetic engineering, an attenuated herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1) was generated that showed increased safety compared to the wild-type strain. To demonstrate the modularity and the facilitated generation of new OVs, two transgenes encoding retargeting as well as immunomodulating single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) were integrated into the platform vector. The resulting virus selectively infected epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-expressing cells and produced a functional immune checkpoint inhibitor against programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1). Thus, both viral-mediated oncolysis and immune-cell-mediated therapy were combined into a single viral vector. Safety and functionality of the armed OVs have been shown in novel preclinical models ranging from patient-derived organoids and tissue-engineered human in vitro 3D tumor models to complex humanized mouse models. Consequently, a novel and proprietary engineering platform vector based on HSV1 is available for the facilitated preclinical development of oncolytic virotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Funk
- Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Nadja Uhlig
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Zsolt Ruzsics
- Department for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Institute of Virology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Florentin Baur
- Chair of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, University Hospital Würzburg, Röntgenring, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Matthias Peindl
- Chair of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, University Hospital Würzburg, Röntgenring, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sarah Nietzer
- Chair of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, University Hospital Würzburg, Röntgenring, Würzburg, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC, Translational Center Regenerative Therapies, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Karina Epting
- Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Gabriele Vacun
- Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Gudrun Dandekar
- Chair of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, University Hospital Würzburg, Röntgenring, Würzburg, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC, Translational Center Regenerative Therapies, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Catherine Botteron
- Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Christian Werno
- Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Grunwald
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Susanne M. Bailer
- Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, Stuttgart, Germany
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2
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Volovat SR, Scripcariu DV, Vasilache IA, Stolniceanu CR, Volovat C, Augustin IG, Volovat CC, Ostafe MR, Andreea-Voichița SG, Bejusca-Vieriu T, Lungulescu CV, Sur D, Boboc D. Oncolytic Virotherapy: A New Paradigm in Cancer Immunotherapy. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1180. [PMID: 38256250 PMCID: PMC10816814 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021180] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Oncolytic viruses (OVs) are emerging as potential treatment options for cancer. Natural and genetically engineered viruses exhibit various antitumor mechanisms. OVs act by direct cytolysis, the potentiation of the immune system through antigen release, and the activation of inflammatory responses or indirectly by interference with different types of elements in the tumor microenvironment, modification of energy metabolism in tumor cells, and antiangiogenic action. The action of OVs is pleiotropic, and they show varied interactions with the host and tumor cells. An important impediment in oncolytic virotherapy is the journey of the virus into the tumor cells and the possibility of its binding to different biological and nonbiological vectors. OVs have been demonstrated to eliminate cancer cells that are resistant to standard treatments in many clinical trials for various cancers (melanoma, lung, and hepatic); however, there are several elements of resistance to the action of viruses per se. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the combination of OVs with other standard treatment modalities, such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapies, and cellular therapies, to increase the response rate. This review provides a comprehensive update on OVs, their use in oncolytic virotherapy, and the future prospects of this therapy alongside the standard therapies currently used in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Ruxandra Volovat
- Department of Medical Oncology-Radiotherapy, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 University Str., 700115 Iasi, Romania; (S.R.V.); (M.-R.O.); (S.-G.A.-V.); (T.B.-V.)
| | - Dragos Viorel Scripcariu
- Department of Surgery, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 University Str., 700115 Iasi, Romania;
| | - Ingrid Andrada Vasilache
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Cati Raluca Stolniceanu
- Department of Biophysics and Medical Physics—Nuclear Medicine, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 University Str., 700115 Iasi, Romania;
| | - Constantin Volovat
- Department of Medical Oncology-Radiotherapy, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 University Str., 700115 Iasi, Romania; (S.R.V.); (M.-R.O.); (S.-G.A.-V.); (T.B.-V.)
| | | | | | - Madalina-Raluca Ostafe
- Department of Medical Oncology-Radiotherapy, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 University Str., 700115 Iasi, Romania; (S.R.V.); (M.-R.O.); (S.-G.A.-V.); (T.B.-V.)
| | - Slevoacă-Grigore Andreea-Voichița
- Department of Medical Oncology-Radiotherapy, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 University Str., 700115 Iasi, Romania; (S.R.V.); (M.-R.O.); (S.-G.A.-V.); (T.B.-V.)
| | - Toni Bejusca-Vieriu
- Department of Medical Oncology-Radiotherapy, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 University Str., 700115 Iasi, Romania; (S.R.V.); (M.-R.O.); (S.-G.A.-V.); (T.B.-V.)
| | | | - Daniel Sur
- 11th Department of Medical Oncology, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400347 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Diana Boboc
- Department of Medical Oncology-Radiotherapy, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 University Str., 700115 Iasi, Romania; (S.R.V.); (M.-R.O.); (S.-G.A.-V.); (T.B.-V.)
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3
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Zheng Z, Wu X, Wang Y, Yang X, Chen H, Shen Y, Yang Y, Xia Q. Attenuating RNA Viruses with Expanded Genetic Codes to Evoke Adjustable Immune Response in PylRS-tRNACUAPyl Transgenic Mice. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1606. [PMID: 37897007 PMCID: PMC10610612 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11101606] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2023] [Revised: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Ribonucleic acid (RNA) viruses pose heavy burdens on public-health systems. Synthetic biology holds great potential for artificially controlling their replication, a strategy that could be used to attenuate infectious viruses but is still in the exploratory stage. Herein, we used the genetic-code expansion technique to convert Enterovirus 71 (EV71), a prototypical RNA virus, into a controllable EV71 strain carrying the unnatural amino acid (UAA) Nε-2-azidoethyloxycarbonyl-L-lysine (NAEK), which we termed an EV71-NAEK virus. After NAEK supplementation, EV71-NAEK could recapitulate an authentic NAEK time- and dose-dependent infection in vitro, which could serve as a novel method to manipulate virulent viruses in conventional laboratories. We further validated the prophylactic effect of EV71-NAEK in two mouse models. In susceptible parent mice, vaccination with EV71-NAEK elicited a strong immune response and protected their neonatal offspring from lethal challenges similar to that of commercial vaccines. Meanwhile, in transgenic mice harboring a PylRS-tRNACUAPyl pair, substantial elements of genetic-code expansion technology, EV71-NAEK evoked an adjustable neutralizing-antibody response in a strictly external NAEK dose-dependent manner. These findings suggested that EV71-NAEK could be the basis of a feasible immunization program for populations with different levels of immunity. Moreover, we expanded the strategy to generate controllable coxsackieviruses for conceptual verification. In combination, these results could underlie a competent strategy for attenuating viruses and priming the immune system via artificial control, which might be a promising direction for the development of amenable vaccine candidates and be broadly applied to other RNA viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Qing Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Department of Chemical Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China; (Z.Z.); (X.W.); (Y.W.); (X.Y.); (H.C.); (Y.S.); (Y.Y.)
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4
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Abstract
Cancer therapeutics approved for clinical application include oncolytic viruses and antibodies, which evolved by nature, but were improved by molecular engineering. Both facilitate outstanding tumor selectivity and pleiotropic activities, but also face challenges, such as tumor heterogeneity and limited tumor penetration. An innovative strategy to address these challenges combines both agents in a single, multitasking therapeutic, i.e., an oncolytic virus engineered to express therapeutic antibodies. Such viro-antibody therapies genetically deliver antibodies to tumors from amplified virus genomes, thereby complementing viral oncolysis with antibody-defined therapeutic action. Here, we review the strategies of viro-antibody therapy that have been pursued exploiting diverse virus platforms, antibody formats, and antibody-mediated modes of action. We provide a comprehensive overview of reported antibody-encoding oncolytic viruses and highlight the achievements of 13 years of viro-antibody research. It has been shown that functional therapeutic antibodies of different formats can be expressed in and released from cancer cells infected with different oncolytic viruses. Virus-encoded antibodies have implemented direct tumor cell killing, anti-angiogenesis, or activation of adaptive immune responses to kill tumor cells, tumor stroma cells or inhibitory immune cells. Importantly, numerous reports have shown therapeutic activity complementary to viral oncolysis for these modalities. Also, challenges for future research have been revealed. Established engineering technologies for both oncolytic viruses and antibodies will enable researchers to address these challenges, facilitating the development of effective viro-antibody therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland E Kontermann
- Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany.,Stuttgart Research Center Systems Biology, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Guy Ungerechts
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Virotherapy, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Medical Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) and University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,Cancer Therapeutics Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Dirk M Nettelbeck
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Virotherapy, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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5
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Nettelbeck DM, Leber MF, Altomonte J, Angelova A, Beil J, Berchtold S, Delic M, Eberle J, Ehrhardt A, Engeland CE, Fechner H, Geletneky K, Goepfert K, Holm PS, Kochanek S, Kreppel F, Krutzke L, Kühnel F, Lang KS, Marchini A, Moehler M, Mühlebach MD, Naumann U, Nawroth R, Nüesch J, Rommelaere J, Lauer UM, Ungerechts G. Virotherapy in Germany-Recent Activities in Virus Engineering, Preclinical Development, and Clinical Studies. Viruses 2021; 13:1420. [PMID: 34452286 DOI: 10.3390/v13081420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [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: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Virotherapy research involves the development, exploration, and application of oncolytic viruses that combine direct killing of cancer cells by viral infection, replication, and spread (oncolysis) with indirect killing by induction of anti-tumor immune responses. Oncolytic viruses can also be engineered to genetically deliver therapeutic proteins for direct or indirect cancer cell killing. In this review—as part of the special edition on “State-of-the-Art Viral Vector Gene Therapy in Germany”—the German community of virotherapists provides an overview of their recent research activities that cover endeavors from screening and engineering viruses as oncolytic cancer therapeutics to their clinical translation in investigator-initiated and sponsored multi-center trials. Preclinical research explores multiple viral platforms, including new isolates, serotypes, or fitness mutants, and pursues unique approaches to engineer them towards increased safety, shielded or targeted delivery, selective or enhanced replication, improved immune activation, delivery of therapeutic proteins or RNA, and redirecting antiviral immunity for cancer cell killing. Moreover, several oncolytic virus-based combination therapies are under investigation. Clinical trials in Germany explore the safety and potency of virotherapeutics based on parvo-, vaccinia, herpes, measles, reo-, adeno-, vesicular stomatitis, and coxsackie viruses, including viruses encoding therapeutic proteins or combinations with immune checkpoint inhibitors. These research advances represent exciting vantage points for future endeavors of the German virotherapy community collectively aimed at the implementation of effective virotherapeutics in clinical oncology.
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6
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Coyote-Maestas W, Fraser JS. ORACLE reveals a bright future to fight bacteria. eLife 2021; 10:68277. [PMID: 33856343 PMCID: PMC8049741 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68277] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A new way to alter the genome of bacteriophages helps produce large libraries of variants, allowing these bacteria-killing viruses to be designed to target species harmful to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willow Coyote-Maestas
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, UCSF, San Francisco, United States.,Quantitative Biosciences Institute, UCSF, San Francisco, United States
| | - James S Fraser
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, UCSF, San Francisco, United States.,Quantitative Biosciences Institute, UCSF, San Francisco, United States
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7
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Abudoureyimu M, Lai Y, Tian C, Wang T, Wang R, Chu X. Oncolytic Adenovirus-A Nova for Gene-Targeted Oncolytic Viral Therapy in HCC. Front Oncol 2019; 9:1182. [PMID: 31781493 PMCID: PMC6857090 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2019.01182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [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: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most frequent cancers worldwide, particularly in China. Despite the development of HCC treatment strategies, the survival rate remains unpleasant. Gene-targeted oncolytic viral therapy (GTOVT) is an emerging treatment modality-a kind of cancer-targeted therapy-which creates viral vectors armed with anti-cancer genes. The adenovirus is a promising agent for GAOVT due to its many advantages. In spite of the oncolytic adenovirus itself, the host immune response is the determining factor for the anti-cancer efficacy. In this review, we have summarized recent developments in oncolytic adenovirus engineering and the development of novel therapeutic genes utilized in HCC treatment. Furthermore, the diversified roles the immune response plays in oncolytic adenovirus therapy and recent attempts to modulate immune responses to enhance the anti-cancer efficacy of oncolytic adenovirus have been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mubalake Abudoureyimu
- Department of Medical Oncology, School of Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yongting Lai
- Department of Medical Oncology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing Clinical School of Southern Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chuan Tian
- Department of Medical Oncology, School of Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing, China
| | - Rui Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, School of Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaoyuan Chu
- Department of Medical Oncology, School of Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
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8
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Herrmann AK, Bender C, Kienle E, Grosse S, El Andari J, Botta J, Schürmann N, Wiedtke E, Niopek D, Grimm D. A Robust and All-Inclusive Pipeline for Shuffling of Adeno-Associated Viruses. ACS Synth Biol 2019; 8:194-206. [PMID: 30513195 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.8b00373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [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: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Adeno-associated viruses (AAV) are attractive templates for engineering of synthetic gene delivery vectors. A particularly powerful technology for breeding of novel vectors with improved properties is DNA family shuffling, i.e., generation of chimeric capsids by homology-driven DNA recombination. Here, to make AAV DNA shuffling available to a wider community, we present a robust experimental and bioinformatical pipeline comprising: (i) standardized and partially codon-optimized plasmids carrying 12 different AAV capsid genes; (ii) a scalable protocol including troubleshooting guide for viral library production; and (iii) the freely available software SALANTO for comprehensive analysis of chimeric AAV DNA and protein sequences. Moreover, we describe a set of 12 premade and ready-to-use AAV libraries. Finally, we demonstrate the usefulness of DNA barcoding technology to trace AAV capsid libraries within a complex mixture. Our protocols and resources facilitate the implementation and tailoring of AAV evolution technology in any laboratory interested in customized viral gene transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Kathrin Herrmann
- Cluster of Excellence CellNetworks, Department of Infectious Diseases, Virology and Center for Quantitative Analysis of Molecular and Cellular Biosystems (BioQuant), Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Christian Bender
- Translational Oncology at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, 55131, Germany
| | - Eike Kienle
- Cluster of Excellence CellNetworks, Department of Infectious Diseases, Virology and Center for Quantitative Analysis of Molecular and Cellular Biosystems (BioQuant), Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Stefanie Grosse
- Cluster of Excellence CellNetworks, Department of Infectious Diseases, Virology and Center for Quantitative Analysis of Molecular and Cellular Biosystems (BioQuant), Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Jihad El Andari
- Cluster of Excellence CellNetworks, Department of Infectious Diseases, Virology and Center for Quantitative Analysis of Molecular and Cellular Biosystems (BioQuant), Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Julia Botta
- Cluster of Excellence CellNetworks, Department of Infectious Diseases, Virology and Center for Quantitative Analysis of Molecular and Cellular Biosystems (BioQuant), Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
- Synthetic Biology Group, Institute for Pharmacy and Biotechnology (IPMB) and Center for Quantitative Analysis of Molecular and Cellular Biosystems (BioQuant), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Nina Schürmann
- Cluster of Excellence CellNetworks, Department of Infectious Diseases, Virology and Center for Quantitative Analysis of Molecular and Cellular Biosystems (BioQuant), Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Ellen Wiedtke
- Cluster of Excellence CellNetworks, Department of Infectious Diseases, Virology and Center for Quantitative Analysis of Molecular and Cellular Biosystems (BioQuant), Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Dominik Niopek
- Synthetic Biology Group, Institute for Pharmacy and Biotechnology (IPMB) and Center for Quantitative Analysis of Molecular and Cellular Biosystems (BioQuant), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Dirk Grimm
- Cluster of Excellence CellNetworks, Department of Infectious Diseases, Virology and Center for Quantitative Analysis of Molecular and Cellular Biosystems (BioQuant), Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) and German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
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9
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Fay EJ, Aron SL, Stone IA, Waring BM, Plemper RK, Langlois RA. Engineered Small-Molecule Control of Influenza A Virus Replication. J Virol 2019; 93:e01677-18. [PMID: 30282710 DOI: 10.1128/JVI.01677-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Influenza A virus (IAV) remains a global health concern despite the availability of a seasonal vaccine. It is difficult to predict which strains will circulate during influenza season, and therefore, it is extremely challenging to test novel vaccines in the human population. To overcome this obstacle, new vaccines must be tested in challenge studies. This approach poses significant safety problems, since current pharmacological interventions for IAV are poorly efficacious. New methods are needed to enhance the safety of these challenge studies. In this study, we have generated a virus expressing a small-molecule-assisted shutoff (SMASh) tag as a safety switch for IAV replication. The addition of the SMASh tag to an essential IAV protein allows for small-molecule-mediated inhibition of replication. Treatment with this drug controls the replication of a SMASh-tagged virus in vitro and in vivo This model for restriction of viral replication has potential for broad applications in vaccine studies, virotherapy, and basic virus research.IMPORTANCE Influenza A virus (IAV) causes significant morbidity and mortality annually worldwide, despite the availability of new formulations of the vaccine each season. There is a critical need to develop more-efficacious vaccines. However, testing novel vaccines in the human population in controlled studies is difficult due to the limited availability and efficacy of intervention strategies should the vaccine fail. There are also significant safety concerns for work with highly pathogenic IAV strains in the laboratory. Therefore, novel strategies are needed to improve the safety of vaccine studies and of research on highly pathogenic IAV. In this study, we developed an IAV strain engineered to contain a small-molecule-mediated safety switch. This tag, when attached to an essential viral protein, allows for the regulation of IAV replication in vitro and in vivo This strategy provides a platform for the regulation of virus replication without targeting viral proteins directly.
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10
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Abstract
A safe and effective human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) vaccine is urgently needed, but remains elusive. While HIV-1 live-attenuated vaccine can provide potent protection as demonstrated in rhesus macaque-simian immunodeficiency virus model, the potential pathogenic consequences associated with the uncontrolled virus replication preclude such vaccine from clinical applications. We investigated a novel approach to address this problem by controlling live-attenuated HIV-1 replication through an unnatural genetic switch that was based on the amber suppression strategy. Here we report the construction of all-in-one live-attenuated HIV-1 mutants that contain genomic copy of the amber suppression system. This genetic modification resulted in viruses that were capable of multicycle replication in vitro and could be switched on and off using an unnatural amino acid as the cue. This stand-alone, replication-controllable attenuated HIV-1 virus represents an important step toward the generation of a safe and efficacious live-attenuated HIV-1 vaccine. The strategy reported in this work can be adopted for the development of other live-attenuated vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Yuan
- Nebraska Center for Virology & School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska−Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68583, United States
| | - Nanxi Wang
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Nebraska−Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, United States
| | - Guobin Kang
- Nebraska Center for Virology & School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska−Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68583, United States
| | - Wei Niu
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Nebraska−Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, United States
| | - Qingsheng Li
- Nebraska Center for Virology & School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska−Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68583, United States
| | - Jiantao Guo
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Nebraska−Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, United States
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11
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Maroun J, Muñoz-Alía M, Ammayappan A, Schulze A, Peng KW, Russell S. Designing and building oncolytic viruses. Future Virol 2017; 12:193-213. [PMID: 29387140 PMCID: PMC5779534 DOI: 10.2217/fvl-2016-0129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Accepted: 01/30/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Oncolytic viruses (OVs) are engineered and/or evolved to propagate selectively in cancerous tissues. They have a dual mechanism of action; direct killing of infected cancer cells cross-primes anticancer immunity to boost the killing of uninfected cancer cells. The goal of the field is to develop OVs that are easily manufactured, efficiently delivered to disseminated sites of cancer growth, undergo rapid intratumoral spread, selectively kill tumor cells, cause no collateral damage and pose no risk of transmission in the population. Here we discuss the many virus engineering strategies that are being pursued to optimize delivery, intratumoral spread and safety of OVs derived from different virus families. With continued progress, OVs have the potential to transform the paradigm of cancer care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Maroun
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Miguel Muñoz-Alía
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Arun Ammayappan
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Autumn Schulze
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Kah-Whye Peng
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Stephen Russell
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
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12
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Wang N, Yuan Z, Niu W, Li Q, Guo J. Synthetic biology approach for the development of conditionally replicating HIV-1 vaccine. J Chem Technol Biotechnol 2017; 92:455-462. [PMID: 28983143 PMCID: PMC5624719 DOI: 10.1002/jctb.5174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
While the combined antiretroviral therapy has resulted in a significant decrease in HIV-1 related morbidity and mortality, the HIV-1 pandemic has not been substantially averted. To curtail the 2.4 million new infections each year, a prophylactic HIV-1 vaccine is urgently needed. This review first summarizes four major completed clinical efficacy trials of prophylactic HIV-1 vaccine and their outcomes. Next, it discusses several other approaches that have not yet advanced to clinical efficacy trials, but provided valuable insights into vaccine design. Among them, live-attenuated vaccines (LAVs) provided excellent protection in a non-human primate model. However, safety concerns have precluded the current version of LAVs from clinical application. As the major component of this review, two synthetic biology approaches for improving the safety of HIV-1 LAVs through controlling HIV-1 replication are discussed. Particular focus is on a novel approach that uses unnatural amino acid-mediated suppression of amber nonsense codon to generate conditionally replicating HIV-1 variants. The objective is to attract more attention towards this promising research field and to provoke creative designs and innovative utilization of the two control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanxi Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68588, USA
| | - Zhe Yuan
- Nebraska Center for Virology & School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68588, USA
| | - Wei Niu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68588, USA
| | - Qingsheng Li
- Nebraska Center for Virology & School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68588, USA
| | - Jiantao Guo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68588, USA
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Wang N, Li Y, Niu W, Sun M, Cerny R, Li Q, Guo J. Construction of a live-attenuated HIV-1 vaccine through genetic code expansion. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2014; 53:4867-71. [PMID: 24715496 PMCID: PMC4984542 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201402092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
A safe and effective vaccine against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is urgently needed to combat the worldwide AIDS pandemic, but still remains elusive. The fact that uncontrolled replication of an attenuated vaccine can lead to regaining of its virulence creates safety concerns precluding many vaccines from clinical application. We introduce a novel approach to control HIV-1 replication, which entails the manipulation of essential HIV-1 protein biosynthesis through unnatural amino acid (UAA*)-mediated suppression of genome-encoded blank codon. We successfully demonstrate that HIV-1 replication can be precisely turned on and off in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanxi Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588 (USA)
| | - Yue Li
- Nebraska Center for Virology & School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588 (USA)
| | - Wei Niu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588 (USA)
| | - Ming Sun
- Nebraska Center for Virology & School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588 (USA)
| | - Ronald Cerny
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588 (USA)
| | - Qingsheng Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588 (USA)
| | - Jiantao Guo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588 (USA)
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