Development of viral vectors for use in cardiovascular gene therapy

Cardiovascular disease represents the most common cause of mortality in the developed world but, despite two decades of promising pre-clinical research and numerous clinical trials, cardiovascular gene transfer has so far failed to demonstrate convincing benefits in the clinical setting. In this review we discuss the various targets which may be suitable for cardiovascular gene therapy and the viral vectors which have to date shown the most potential for clinical use. We conclude with a summary of the current state of clinical cardiovascular gene therapy and the key trials which are ongoing.     

2型重组腺相关病毒介导的β-地中海贫血基因治疗实验

目的 探讨2型重组腺相关病毒（rAAV2）能否有效转染重型β-地中海贫血患者造血细胞,通过体外途径基因治疗地中海贫血。方法 6只BALB/c裸小鼠分为转染组（n=4）和未转染组（n=2）,经X射线照射后,分别移植入经rAAV2 β-珠蛋白病毒转染（MOI=50）或未转染的β41-42/β654杂合子型重型β-地中海贫血流产胎儿造血细胞,转染后第28天和第70天分别处死rAAV2转染小鼠（n=2）和未转染受体小鼠（n=1）。采用 RT-PCR、等位基因特异性PCR（ASPCR）法检测rAAV2介导的人β-珠蛋白基因在小鼠骨髓中的表达,并以高压液相色谱法量化分析受体小鼠外周血中人β-珠蛋白肽链的水平。结果 ①RT-PCR于所有受体小鼠样本中均可检测到人β-actin和人β-珠蛋白基因的表达。②ASPCR检测中,β41-42突变基因稳定表达于所有受体小鼠,β654突变基因仅在移植后第70天受体小鼠样本中被检测到;移植后第28天,rAAV2转染及未转染小鼠体内均可检测到主要来自于β654突变基因的正常β-珠蛋白基因表达;但至移植后第70天,仅rAAV2转染小鼠骨髓样本中仍可检测到rAAV2-β-globin载体介导的正常β-珠蛋白基因表达。③移植后第70天处死的转染小鼠外周血中人β链/α链分别为0.328和0.325,相对未转染组0.135的比值,两者的增加百分比高达144.78%和142.54%。结论 经rAAV2介导基因修饰后的重型β-地中海贫血患者造血细胞在体内可长期稳定表达正常人β-珠蛋白基因,而其分化产生的外周血人红系细胞内β-珠蛋白肽链的合成增加。     

两种重组腺相关病毒介导增强型绿色荧光蛋白转染大鼠成骨细胞效率的体外研究

目的 比较2种不同重组腺相关病毒(rAAV)介导的增强型绿色荧光蛋白(EGFP)对大鼠成骨细胞的转染效率,评价其作为成骨细胞病变基因治疗载体的可行性.方法 采用Ⅰ型胶原酶阶段消化法分离培养大鼠成骨细胞并鉴定,rAAV-EGFP按转染复数(MOI) 1×10~3、1×10~4、1×10~5、5×10~5分为只加rAAV和rAAV与腺病毒(ADV)共同转染组转染成骨细胞,倒置荧光显微镜观察转染后荧光强度随转染时间的变化,流式细胞仪检测rAAV2/6-EGFP和rAAV2/9-EGFP对成骨细胞的转染效率及荧光强度,确定转染的较佳MOI值,以此值用MTT法描绘细胞生长曲线,观察rAAV对细胞的毒性.结果 分离培养的细胞具有体内成骨细胞的生物学行为,rAAV对成骨细胞的转染效率随MOI值的增加而提高,ADV(-)组荧光强度在第5 d达到高峰,当MOI为1×10~5时,rAAV2/6-EGFP和rAAV2/9-EGFP的转染效率分别为90.2%、66.1%,MOI值增到5×10~5时转染效率无显著提高;ADV(+)组荧光强度在第3 d即达高峰,MOI值为5×10~5时,rAAV2/6-EGFP和rAAV2/9-EGFP的转染效率为47.6%、30.5%.细胞生长正常,rAAV对细胞活性影响小.结论 两种病毒载体对成骨细胞转染效率均较高,其中rAAV2/6高于rAAV2/9,是一种理想的基因治疗载体.     

表达胰高血糖素样肽1重组腺伴随病毒载体的构建

背景：胰高血糖素样肽1(glucagon-like peptide-1, GLP-1)在人体内半衰期过短限制了其应用。 目的：构建可表达GLP-1的重组腺伴随病毒。 方法：将NT4-GLP-1融合基因插入腺伴随病毒包装质粒pSSHG-CMV中,构建pSSHG/NT4-GLP-1重组腺伴随病毒包装质粒。采用磷酸钙共沉淀法将辅助质粒pAAV/Ad、腺病毒质粒pFG140及pSSHG/NT4-GLP-1转染至293细胞系,用其感染Hela细胞。 结果与结论：重组质粒pSSHG/NT4-GLP-1经限制性内切酶EcoRⅠ酶切鉴定可见342 bp的目的片段,说明NT4-GLP-1融合基因已经成功重组于腺伴随病毒包装质粒pSSHG-CMV内。免疫细胞化学结果显示,转染pSSHG/NT4-GLP-1重组腺伴随病毒包装质粒的Hela细胞内有大量棕黄色颗粒,阳性率达到70%以上,说明NT4-GLP-1重组腺伴随病毒在细胞中可以表达GLP-1。     

In vivo targeting of subventricular zone astrocytes

The subventricular zone (SVZ) is a dynamic cellular niche with unique neurogenic properties that are, as of yet, not fully understood. Astrocytes residing in the SVZ have been shown to spawn migratory neuroblasts via transitory amplifying progenitor cells. These migratory neuroblasts play a role in maintaining the olfactory circuitry in healthy brains and potentially have restorative properties after brain injury. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the basic nature of these neurogenic astrocytes in order to gain a more cohesive picture of SVZ adult neurogenesis. However, one of the obstacles in this line of research is to specifically genetically modify SVZ astrocytes. Viral vector systems, based on adeno-associated viruses and lentiviruses, are flexible gene transfer systems that allow long-term transgene expression in a host cell. Electroporation allows for the transient expression of larger transgenes; whereas the cre/loxP system provides a lifetime of inherently stable genetic modulation. The benefits and drawbacks of these transduction methods and the application of various astrocyte-specific promoters are discussed with regard to their efficiency and accuracy when transducing adult SVZ astrocytes in the mouse brain. In vivo studies that manipulate gene expression in SVZ astrocytes will be essential to fully dissect and understand the complex molecular and cellular properties of the SVZ in the upcoming years.     

A recombinant DNA and vaccinia virus prime–boost regimen induces potent long-term T-cell responses to HCV in BALB/c mice

To explore the best prime–boost regimen and evaluate the T-cellular response memory against HCV, we constructed two DNA vaccine candidates (pVRC-CE1E2 and pAAV-CE1E2) and two recombinant viruses (rTTV-E1E2 and rAAV-E1E2) and then assessed the immune response to different prime–boost patterns in BALB/c mice. The rTTV-E1E2 boosted the immune response to HCV DNA vaccine prime significantly, and the inverted terminal repeat sequence harboring DNA construct PAAV-CE1E2 was the best prime agent in this study. Our study provides new information for both the prime–boost regimen and long-term T-cell response for HCV vaccine development.     

Antioxidant enzyme gene transfer for ischemic diseases

The balance of redox is pivotal for normal function and integrity of tissues. Ischemic insults occur as results of a variety of conditions, leading to an accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and an imbalanced redox status in the tissues. The oxidant stress may activate signaling mechanisms provoking more toxic events, and eventually cause tissue damage. Therefore, treatments with antioxidants, free radical scavengers and their mimetics, as well as gene transfer approaches to overexpress antioxidant genes represent potential therapeutic options to correct the redox imbalance. Among them, antioxidant gene transfer may enhance the production of antioxidant scavengers, and has been employed to experimentally prevent or treat ischemic injury in cardiovascular, pulmonary, hepatic, intestinal, central nervous or other systems in animal models. With improvements in vector systems and delivery approaches, innovative antioxidant gene therapy has conferred better outcomes for myocardial infarction, reduced restenosis after coronary angioplasty, improved the quality and function of liver grafts, as well as outcome of intestinal and cerebral ischemic attacks. However, it is crucial to be mindful that like other therapeutic armentarium, the efficacy of antioxidant gene transfer requires extensive preclinical investigation before it can be used in patients, and that it may have unanticipated short- or long-term adverse effects. Thus, it is critical to balance between the therapeutic benefits and potential risks, to develop disease-specific antioxidant gene transfer strategies, to deliver the therapy with an optimal time window and in a safe manner. This review attempts to provide the rationale, the most effective approaches and the potential hurdles of available antioxidant gene transfer approaches for ischemic injury in various organs, as well as the possible directions of future preclinical and clinical investigations of this highly promising therapeutic modality.     

Orthopaedic gene therapy using recombinant adeno-associated virus vectors

Use of recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors is increasingly gaining popularity in gene therapy because of their desirable properties, including lack of pathogenicity, efficient transduction of dividing and non-dividing cells, and sustained maintenance of the viral genome. It is these features of rAAV vectors that made them the focus for gene-based therapy of skeletal tissue regeneration. This review outlines the biological characteristics of adeno-associated virus (AAV), states the biological processing as well as current advances of rAAV vectors, and describes the recent achievements of their applications in orthopaedic and craniofacial surgery.     

大鼠CTLA4-FasL融合基因重组腺相关病毒载体的构建、制备及表达

目的检测大鼠CTLA4-FasL重组腺相关病毒载体感染大鼠关节炎性成纤维样滑膜细胞后目的基因的表达。方法构建大鼠CTLA4-FasL融合基因重组腺相关病毒载体,制备重组病毒,体外感染从佐剂诱导关节炎的大鼠关节中分离的炎性成纤维样滑膜细胞,利用Flag标签纯化目的蛋白,ELISA和Western blot等方法检测目的蛋白的表达。结果获得含有大鼠CTLA4-FasL融合基因的重组腺相关病毒,感染炎性成纤维样滑膜细胞后能够分泌性表达目的蛋白。结论构建并制备的CTLA4-FasL重组腺相关病毒能够有效感染炎性成纤维样滑膜细胞并促使期表达CTLA4-FasL融合蛋白,为今后关节炎治疗的体内实验研究奠定了基础。