In vitro and in vivo evaluation of intrinsic immunogenicity of reporter and insulin gene therapy plasmids

BACKGROUND: Plasmid DNA vectors offer the potential of safe gene therapy avoiding viral vector-mediated toxicity and immunogenicity. As plasmid DNA is bacterial in origin, presence of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or unmethylated CpG dinucleotides may stimulate host innate immunity. METHODS: Primary cultures of mouse and rat dendritic cells were established and incubated with bacterial lipopolysaccharide; immunostimulatory CpG oligodeoxynucleotide; control GpC oligodeoxynucleotide; and a range of (pVR1012) plasmids encoding transgenes with increasing CpG content (wild-type and mutant human preproinsulin; non-mammalian eukaryotic eGFP reporter gene; and bacterial beta-galactosidase reporter gene). IL-12 secretion was assayed to determine in vitro plasmid immunogenicity. Local inflammatory response following intramuscular injection of these plasmids, with or without a non-ionic carrier SP1017, was characterised in vivo. RESULTS: Dose-responsive LPS and CpG stimulation of IL-12 secretion from dendritic cells was demonstrated. All plasmids induced significant IL-12 secretion in comparison to control unstimulated cells. The beta-galactosidase plasmid had highest CpG content and induced significantly higher IL-12 secretion than constructs containing a eukaryotic transgene. Injection of rat muscle with the beta-galactosidase construct induced greater inflammatory response than human preproinsulin constructs. This was further enhanced by SP1017. At 2 days post-injection, monocyte/macrophage injection site infiltration predominated with CD8-positive lymphocytes predominating at 7 days. There was no evidence of transgene expression in infiltrating immune cells. CONCLUSIONS: Dendritic cell immunostimulation may be employed as an in vitro bioassay of innate immune response to plasmid DNA vectors during evaluation for clinical gene therapy.     

选择性复制型腺病毒介导的自杀基因HSV -tk 在 肿瘤基因治疗中的应用

自杀基因治疗是肿瘤基因治疗的手段之一,治疗效果与自杀基因能否被高效、选择性的导入肿瘤细胞有关。肿瘤选择性复制型腺病毒（conditionally replication adenovirus,CRADs）可以特异性的在肿瘤细胞中复制,在复制的同时所携带的治疗基因也大量表达。由CRAds介导的自杀基因,实现了对肿瘤的病毒治疗和基因治疗的结合,提高了治疗效率和使用复制型腺病毒的安全性。     

Effect of polyethylenimine on recombinant adeno-associated virus mediated insulin gene therapy

BACKGROUND: Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) is becoming a promising vector for gene therapy for type I diabetes. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of incorporation of polyethylenimine (PEI) on rAAV-mediated insulin gene therapy in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: Recombinant AAV vector, harboring the furin-mutated human insulin and enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) genes, was constructed. The effect of complexation with PEI on rAAV-mediated gene transfer was examined in Huh7 human hepatoma cells. The transgene expression was also examined in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic C57BL/6J mice by direct administration of rAAV into the livers of the animals, followed by monitoring changes in body weight and blood glucose levels. Secretion of human insulin was determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA) and immunohistochemical staining in the livers. RESULTS: Complexation with PEI was shown to enhance rAAV-mediated transgene expression in Huh7 cells, resulting in higher transduction efficiency and enhanced production of immunoreactive human insulin. Heparin competition assay demonstrated that endocytosis of rAAV-PEI was partially inhibited by heparin. The enhancement of rAAV-mediated transgene expression was also demonstrated in the animals, showing lowering of blood glucose and longer duration of normoglycemia. Immunofluorescent staining of the liver sections demonstrated that PEI increased the uptake of rAAV and enhanced insulin secretion. The enhancement of PEI on rAAV-mediated insulin gene therapy was further confirmed by glucose challenge and a 10-h fasting blood glucose test. CONCLUSIONS: Results obtained in this study demonstrated that incorporation of PEI augmented rAAV-mediated insulin gene transfer and enhanced amelioration of hyperglycemia in the STZ-induced diabetic animals.     

肿瘤基因治疗中腺病毒载体改造热点

在病毒介导的肿瘤基因治疗的研究中,腺病毒具有多种优点使其成为基因治疗中使用最多的载体之一.但腺病毒也存在许多问题迫使科学家们去不断的优化它,以达到更好的治疗效果.其中对腺病毒外壳蛋白的改造、对腺病毒基因组的改造以及使用化学修饰剂对腺病毒进行修饰改造一直是研究的热点,本文就对腺病毒改造的热点研究及取得的新成果作一评述.     

人胰岛素基因在体内外表达的研究

利用定点突变人胰岛素基因,以脂质体载体和质粒不同比例形成的复合物进行体内外转染。体外转染鼠肝细胞,G418进行筛选,利用放免法测定培养液中胰岛素含量;体内通过肝门脉注射,测定模型鼠血糖及转染后7天时血液中胰岛素的含量,结果显示目的基因已转入肝细胞,且体内外转染都有一定量的成熟胰岛素表达,体外转染中粒与脂质体比为1:6转染后24h表达量最高为10.45μIU/ml,体内转染使模型鼠的糖尿病症状明显改善,血糖最高降幅达55％。     

In vitro and in vivo transfection and expression of plasmid-based non-viral vector for erythropoietin gene therapy

A non-viral gene therapy vector, pcDNA3-EPO, was constructed by subcloning erythropoietin (EPO) cDNA into plasmid pcDNA3. After liposome-mediated transfection of the NIH 3T3 cells in vitro, EPO expression in the culture medium was detected by ELISA and amounted to 1.25 ± 0.3 IU ml^–1. The biological activity of this EPO in the medium was detected after intramuscular injection of BALB/c mice. PCR of genomic DNA and RT-PCR of total RNA also confirmed that the plasmid pcDNA3-EPO had been transfected into the cells. A pool of pcDNA3-EPO transfectants, which stably expressed EPO, was obtained by G418 selection. When pcDNA3-EPO was combined into liposomes and intramuscularly injected into BALB/c mice, the reticulocyte ratio in the positive mice was three times higher than that in the control mice. In vivo expression was maintained in mice for at least one month.     

Ad-IL-24对人胶质瘤细胞生长抑制效应的体外实验

研究携带人白介素24(IL-24)的腺病毒表达载体(Ad-IL-24)对人U251胶质瘤细胞生长的影响和抗肿瘤分子机制。将不同MOI Ad-IL-24感染U251人胶质瘤细胞后, MTT法检测Ad-IL-24对U251细胞生长的抑制作用, 流式细胞仪和Hochest 染色法检测细胞的凋亡率。RT-PCR检测bcl-2、bax、ICE、C-myc、HIF-1a和p53等基因的转录表达水平, Western blotting检测Cleaved Caspase-3的表达。结果表明100 MOI Ad-IL-24感染U251细胞后能明显抑制细胞生长, 并能明显诱导细胞凋亡, 感染72 h后细胞凋亡率可达42%, 感染4 d后细胞生长抑制率可达50%。RT-PCR检测发现Ad-IL-24能引起与细胞凋亡和血管形成相关基因bax/bcl-2、ICE、C-myc、p53的上调和HIF-1a的下调, 并促进Caspase-3的活化。本研究结果显示Ad-IL-24能明显抑制人胶质瘤细胞U251生长和诱导细胞凋亡, 其抗肿瘤机制可能与通过bax/ bcl-2、ICE、c-myc、p53的上调和HIF-1a的下调, 进而导致Caspase-3的活化而诱导肿瘤细胞发生凋亡有关。     

Expression of hepatic calcium-binding protein regucalcin mRNA is elevated by refeeding of fasted rats: Involvement of glucose,insulin and calcium as stimulating factors

The effect of refeeding on the expression of Ca²⁺-binding protein regucalcin mRNA in the liver of fasted rats was investigated. When rats were fasted overnight, the hepatic regucalcin mRNA level was reduced about 70% of that in feeding rats. Refeeding produced a remarkable elevation of hepatic regucalcin mRNA level (about 150–170% of fasted rats). Liver regucalcin concentration was appreciably increased by refeeding, although it was not altered by fasting. The oral administration of glucose (2 g/kg body weight) to fasted rats caused a significant increase in hepatic regucalcin mRNA level. Moreover, hepatic regucalcin mRNA level was clearly elevated by a single subcutaneous administration of insulin (10 and 100 U/kg) to fasted rats. The hormonal effect was not further enhanced by the simultaneous administration of calcium chloride (250 mg Ca/kg) to fasted rats, although calcium administration stimulated regucalcin mRNA expression in the liver. The present study suggests that the expression of hepatic regucalcin mRNA stimulated by refeeding is significantly involved in the action of insulin and/or calcium as stimulating factors.     

Complementation cell lines for viral vectors to be used in gene therapy

Viral vectors provide a highly efficient method for the transfer of foreign genes into a variety of quiescent or dividing eukaryotic cells from many animal origins. While recombinant vectors derived from an increasing number of mammalian viruses (herpes simplex virus, autonomous and non-autonomous parvoviruses, poxviruses, retroviruses, adenoviruses available today, vectors based on murine retroviruses and human adenoviruses constitute preferential candidates for the delivery of marker or therapeutic genes into human somatic cells. The availability of such vectors has made possible the recent transition of human gene therapy from laboratory benches to clinical settings. Most current recombinant vectors have been generated by deleting essential viral genes in order to make space available for the introduction of passenger genes. Such vectors are therefore unable to replicate in the absence of these critical gene products and their production relies on the development of stable complementation cell lines providingin trans the missing viral functions. Although complementation (or packaging) cell lines are available for both adenovirus and retrovirus vectors, their respective drawbacks still limit their use to research applications and phase I clinical trials. The future success or failure of human gene therapy will therefore rely on the production of improved generations of packaging cell lines that can produce safer and more efficient vectors which are fully adapted to large scale production and clinical applications.     

Therapy of cancer by cytokines mediated by gene therapy approach

Gene therapy offers a new approach for treatment of cancer. Transfer of genes encoding immunostimulatory cytokines has been used with remarkable success to eliminate cancer in animals. However, clinical trials in patients with this strategy had limited efficacy. Therefore, improvement ofgene transfer vector system is necessary. A hybrid viral vector, consisting of SFV replicon with either murine IL-12 or reporter LacZ gene, was constructed. This hybrid vector showed specificity and high level of expression in HCC both in vitro and in vivo. In a rat orthotropic liver tumor model, treatment of established tumors by the hybrid vector with raiL- 12 gene resulted in a strong anti-tumor activity without accompanying toxicity. Subsequently, a helper-dependent adenovirus vectors containing a mifepristone （RU486） inducible system was constructed for controlled and liver-specific expression of human interleukin 12 （hIL- 12） （HD-Ad/RUhIL- 12） and mouse IL-12 （mIL-12） （HD-Ad/RUmIL-12）. Data showed that high and sustained serum levels of hlL-12 could be attained by continuing administration of RU486 every 12 or 24 h. Repetitive induction ofhlL-12 could be obtained over, at least, a period of 48 weeks after a single injection of HD-Ad/RUhlL-12. Treatment of liver metastases with of HD-Ad/RUmIL- 12 plus RU846 resulted in complete tumor regression in all animals. Then, different cytokine genes were inserted into conditional replicative adenoviruses vectors （also called oncolytic adenovirus）. Replication ofadenovirus in tumor cells would kill tumor cells and release viruses, which infect surrounding tumor cells. The combination of cytopathic effect by oncolytic adenovirus and biological effect of transgene would exert strong antitumor activity. These new types of vectors may provide a potent and safe tool for cancer gene therapy.     

Endotoxin-induced alterations in hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase activity and gene expression

The mechanisms responsible for the glycemic changes associated with endotoxic shock are not fully understood, but are known to involve the ability of the liver to produce glucose. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether endotoxin (LPS) influences the expression and activity of glucose-6-phosphatase (Glu-6-Pase) during the early hyperglycemic phase and the later hypoglycemic phase. Rats were injected with a relatively large dose of LPS (20 mg/kg) or saline (control), and sacrificed at 1 or 5 h post-injection. Both the plasma glucose concentration and glucose production were elevated 1 h post-LPS (2-fold) and both decreased at 5 h postinjection (50%). Compared to time-matched control values, hepatic glucose-6-phosphate and fructose-6-phosphate levels were significantly decreased at both 1 and 5 h. Hepatic Glu-6-Pase activity and mRNA levels were moderately increased, 1 h after injection of LPS. At 5 h, an 88% decrease in mRNA abundance for Glu-6-Pase was associated with a 30% decrease in activity of this enzyme. Plasma insulin concentrations were not different 1 h after LPS and were elevated 2-fold from control values at 5 h. Circulating levels of glucagon and corticosterone were elevated at both time points following LPS. Our data indicate that the LPS-induced hypoglycemia and reduction in hepatic glucose production were accompanied by a depression in Glu-6-Pase activity and gene expression.     

In vivo tissue specific modulation of rat insulin receptor gene expression in an experimental model of mineralocorticoid excess

Insulin receptor (IR) gene expression at the mRNA level was investigated in hindlimb skeletal muscle, epididymal adipose tissue and in the liver of rats exposed to prolonged in vivo administration of deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA). Following treatment, plasma insulin levels were reduced while glucose levels increased compared to values in control rats. DOCA-treated animals showed an increase in blood pressure and a reduction in body weight. This treatment also induced hypokalemia and decreased plasma protein levels. Sodium levels were unaffected. Moreover, no differences in DNA and protein content or in the indicator of cell size (protein/DNA) were observed in the skeletal muscle or adipose tissue of animals. In contrast, there was a clear increase in the protein and DNA contents of the liver with no change in the indicator of cell size. Northern blot assays revealed 2 major IR mRNA species of approximately 9.5 and 7.5 Kb in the 3 tissues from control animals. DOCA treatment induced no change in the levels of either RNA species in skeletal muscle. However, a decrease of approximately 22% was detected in the levels of both species in adipose tissue whereas the liver showed an increase of 64%. These results provide the first evidence for an in vivo tissue-specific modulation of IR mRNA levels under experimental conditions of mineralocorticoid excess.